Stranded In The Cold With Eyes Like Emeralds
by TheSleeplessPrime
Summary: My name is Emerald. No last name, no middle. I'd only gone to a reunion-style party when guns were pulled out and a strange man took me away from the soon-to-be melee but little did I know I was about to be involved in something out of this world...
1. The Party And The Guns

It was gone 11.p.m and my friends and I were supposed to be back at the hotel from the party at least two hours ago. The party was in celebration of the day my friend's brother's army unit had come home from Afghanistan. The party went on until the late hours of the night and almost all of my friends were wasted or asleep on the benches of the hall that we'd rented. I hadn't gone anywhere near the drinks, preferring to stay sane for the night. There was a live band and the pub/bar was on the other side of the double doors. The band were almost screaming into the mikes at one point but they then toned it down and started playing one of my favourite songs: Underground Machine by Take That. A British band to suit my British nationality. People from all throughout the neighbourhood and beyond had come to the party so it wasn't just our celebration. Everything was going fine until these strange men walked in; one was in a red, white and black outfit and the other was in a murky blue suit. They looked pretty mean and like they were looking for someone. I was suddenly pulled out of my trance as some random person dragged me off to dance, I'd no idea who it was but seeing as they danced like a professional I couldn't help but go along with it.

Seconds passed and I kept on dancing with the guy long after I had lost sight of the two creepy men. I looked up at the guy I was dancing with; he had _gorgeous_ eyes, both as blue as the bluest sea, his hair was dark brown/ black and his face… well, that defied a fitting description. His face was like an angel had fallen from Heaven. He was tall and muscular with broad shoulders and thick, strong but gently arms that twirled and turned me with such grace. His touch was as soft as a feather's and he danced with pure beauty. I on the other hand was tall and slender with jet-black hair and green eyes. This was possibly the worst thing about me, green eyes and black hair don't go, or not in my opinion they don't. All my friends say I'm the most beautiful out of all of them but I could never agree.

'_Maybe he is an angel from Heaven.'_ I thought giddily, he was just so gorgeous that nothing could possibly ruin the moment. Suddenly screaming and shouting erupted from the front of the crowd and the entire party and music just stopped. No trail off or anything, they just stopped. Even the man I was dancing with stopped. The two men had pulled out guns and had threatened to shoot someone if we didn't hand over a certain man they were looking for. Everyone was uneasy about this but the man dancing with me lowered his head slightly and gently whispered, "Walk towards the back slowly and calmly and stay with me." I felt like I could trust this guy, his voice was gently yet commanding and the best thing was _it was a baritone voice_. I loved baritone things, they just relaxed me and this guy had a baritone voice. I looked up at him and nodded. He took my hand in his and we gently crept towards the back doors, my heart in my mouth.

* * *

><p>We slipped out into the night-covered alley as gunshots erupted from inside. We broke into a run, my white dress billowing in the cold, bitter wind as we ran. He never let go and he never spoke, he just ran. Soon we slowed in another alley and paused to catch our breath. I had a feeling that this man knew the other two and was keen on getting away.<p>

"Who are you?" I panted as I struggled for breath, "who were they?" I had about a billion questions forming in my head but he held up a hand before I could continue.

"My name is," he paused, "Orion. Yours?" Orion. It was a rare name and I'd never come across a person called Orion. I soon remembered I hadn't answered.

"Oh, my name is Emerald. No last name." I hastily added. It was true; I had no last name. My first name was Emerald and I had no last nor did I have a middle name. Orion seemed to ponder this for a moment.

"Emerald, that's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He spoke with such care, choosing his words carefully and stringing them together to make the most delicious sentences. I also noticed he, too, was American. No surprise considering I was in America

"Uh, thanks." I had no idea what to say, no one had ever called me beautiful. "But who were those two guys at the party? Why were they looking for you?" I asked. Orion seemed a bit paranoid at this.

"Their names were Knock Out and Breakdown, they're like warriors or bounty hunters in a world you wouldn't understand." Orion was right, I didn't understand. I'd never heard of someone being called Knock Out before, equally with Breakdown. Orion could see the confusion in my glittering eyes, "you could view their names as a sort of nickname."

"Ohhhh. Why were they looking for you?" I pressed, I was curious to find out why.

"They're one of the bad guys in the world I live in and they are in your world whereas I'm one of the good guys. That's why I got you out of there alive." Orion explained.

"So where to now?" I asked, I was cold and I had no idea where I was for I'd arrived at the party with my friends and I'd fallen asleep on the way there.

"Um, no offence but you can't come with me. It's too dangerous." Ok, this annoyed me. I had been in plenty of dangerous situations before and I could handle this one.

"And why not? I don't even know where I am!" Orion sighed.

"Fine, you can come with me until I can get you where you need to go, then I leave you. Got it?" I still wasn't overly confident with him leaving me in an area I don't know but I had to agree with it. I nodded. "Ok, good but we'll go along the main towns so we kinda get lost in the crowd where Knock Out and Breakdown can't find us. They don't know this area too well." NOW I felt reassured. We set off but before we got too far Orion stopped and said, "By the way, call me Optimus, that's my real name." He also handed me his jacket seeing me shivering.

"Thanks, Optimus." I chattered as I gratefully accepted his offer and we set off down towards the streets.


	2. The Drink, The Drive and The Danger

I shivered violently. Although I was wearing Optimus' jacket I still felt very cold. We were walking along one of the main streets that ran alongside a row of shops however it was unusually quiet. It was a Saturday night and hardly anyone was out. Optimus then stopped and turned towards me.

"Do you have any idea where we are Emerald?" he asked.

"No, I fell asleep on the way here." I replied a bit guiltily. He sighed in frustration, "oh well I'm sorry if I was knackered after an Archery Tournament!" I said annoyed. Optimus looked at me slightly angrily. I shrugged off his jacket and gave it back, turned on my heel and walked away.

"Hey! Where are you going? You just said you didn't know this area!" Optimus cried out.

"I don't! I'm looking for the nearest hotel!" I yelled back at him. I suddenly felt his hand on my shoulder and he turned me around. I knocked his hand off my shoulder hotly, "look, I don't want any arguments. You just said you knew this area! You obviously don't!" I said furiously.

"I don't," I began walking away again, rubbing my arms to keep myself warm, "I was just looking for the car park!" well that did it.

"Oh so you were looking for the _car park!_ " I said shrilly, it was unbelievable; he'd just saved my life and he was looking for the _car park_!

"Hello, there sir, miss!" a cheery young man said, interrupting our fight. He looked strangely calm despite playing witness to our squabble, "would you both like to try the last of our free samples? It's a new energy drink we plan on selling and we would like to know what the public thinks of it!" he held out a tray with two shots of green energy drink on it.

"No thanks I think you can see we're busy at the moment, can you just wait a sec?" I said as calmly as I could whilst still glaring at Optimus.

"Oh but surely you must be a little thirsty, miss? Sir perhaps?" he seemed a little pushy for my liking but this gave me long enough to cool down and apologise to Optimus.

"Sorry, I'm just really worried about my friends and those two men chasing you." I said in a small voice. Optimus' features softened.

"That's ok, I forgive you and it is my fault actually. I thought of myself before you." We then turned to the guy and accepted the shots.

"Thank you madam, sir. Oh, and you may keep the glasses if you wish!" and with that he headed back into the café and we carried on down the street.

* * *

><p>After a while I stopped in an alleyway and looked down at my drink. Optimus did too. It was a creepy bright green colour and had no smell to it.<p>

"Hmmm," said Optimus, "together?"

"Together." I said and we hesitantly put the glasses to our lips and drank. The first taste I got was of apple and strawberries but it quickly changed into something not so pleasant. "Ugh, that's gross." I said after finishing the shot, Optimus grimaced at the taste and we set the cups on a dumpster. I suddenly felt queasy, as did Optimus. I ran to the other side of the dumpster and I had no choice but to puke it all up. I puked at least twice and when I had cleared my stomach of the toxic drink I turned my attention to where Optimus was stood. But he wasn't there, he was behind a dumpster further away from me puking too.

I cautiously came up behind him and heard him groan. A nauseating wave of dizziness washed over me and I would've fallen backwards if Optimus hadn't caught me. I looked up at him before a second wave of dizziness engulfed me and I had to cling to his muscular arms to stop me from slumping onto the ground. His face was plastered with concern as he held me in his arms like I was weak as a kitten. I felt slightly embarrassed.

"Are you ok, Emerald?" said Optimus gently, his eyes glistening with worry. I gulped in fresh air and nodded a reply. "Then we must get going, that is, if you are ok to walk?" I nodded again. "We've got to get to the car park, that's' where I parked my car. Then I can drive you to a hotel or a hospital if you feel any worse, ok?" I nodded again and I stumbled to my feet. We walked out of the alley and eventually found our way to the car park.

A sanguine red and cobalt blue Peterbilt semi was waiting. I whistled in amazement.

"This yours?" I asked, mesmerized. Optimus nodded and pulled open the passenger door.

"Get in" he said in a very gentlemanly way as he opened the door like a butler and he even helped me in. Although I had lived in America most of my life, I still wasn't used to the way the Americans drive. In England, we drove on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on he right but in America they drive on the right side of the road with the steering wheel on the left side! I had never quite understood why they did it. I buckled up and soon we drove out onto the desert roads. I still didn't understand what Knock Out and Breakdown had wanted with Optimus but I thought it best not to ask.

* * *

><p>At least an hour passed and we were still on the desert roads somewhere in Jasper, Nevada. Optimus was a very considerate driver, he would simply pull out of the way with no fuss and he wouldn't jump any of the lights, not that there were many.<p>

"Scrap." Swore Optimus under his breath, shattering the silence between us. A red and white muscle car and a murky blue truck/van pulled out behind us.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly feeling very afraid.

"Remember that strange world I was telling you about? The one where I'm the leader of the good guys and Knock Out and Breakdown are part of the bad guys?" I nodded, "well, they're following us. And don't be surprised if the cars suddenly change shape and form, its all part of the world I live and fight in." I was really freaked out. I had no idea what Optimus was on about and we were being tailgated from the two crazy guys from the party! "HOLD ON!" Optimus partially yelled, snapping me out of my daydreaming as he veered right sharply, going off road. I nearly screamed as we narrowly missed an edge that made my stomach drop that led down into a canyon. Optimus then drove us right down into said canyon and he forced me to get out and hide in a cave it the rocks. I did so obediently yet fearfully and the feeling of nausea I had still hadn't ceased. Optimus then drove away into the night with Knock Out and Breakdown following like lap dogs.

* * *

><p>Minutes passed and there was still no sign of Optimus. I was growing increasingly worried but that worry quickly turned into severe anxiety as I heard the sound of metal grinding and scraping together.<p>

"OPTIMUS!" I yelled as I heard another ear-splitting crash that echoed through the canyon. Suddenly gunshots flew past my hiding place and they looked a lot like red lasers. They hit the rock, sending debris flying everywhere. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, a giant robot, followed by two more, came running down the vast stretch of canyon. He was _huge_! Over 25ft tall! Again, I almost screamed at the sight of him but he quickly transformed his arms into a gun and a sword and fired at the two other robots. The largest one was red and blue; red at the torso, silvery-coloured in the middle and blue for his legs and feet. There was a robot that was red all over and his accomplice was blue all over. They looked so familiar…

_**BOOM!**_

An incredibly loud cannon blast ricocheted off the two robots and both were sent flying into the canyon wall. Both _transformed_ into a muscle car and a van/truck and sped away. I stared after them, speechless. They were the two cars that were following Optimus and me!

They were Knock Out and Breakdown!

As I stood there astounded, the remaining robot walked over to me. I cowered back into the cave as he knelt down to see me.

"I apologise for that Emerald, but please do not be afraid." That was Optimus' baritone voice!

"O-Optimus? Is – is that you?" I stuttered.

"Yes, it is I, Emerald. I had to fight off Knock Out and Breakdown." He said apologetically.

"But – but you're a giant freakin' robot!" I exclaimed. He retracted a strange metal mask that covered his mouth and smiled.

"Yes, I am a 'giant freakin' robot', but my actual name is Optimus Prime and I am the leader of the Autobots." Optimus could see the confusion in my face and he added, "the good guys." He then held out his hand and I climbed onto it hesitantly; I had no idea if he was going to hurt me or not. Optimus gently brought me up to eye level and set me onto his shoulder and he started walking out of the canyon.

* * *

><p>Just as we reached to lip of the canyon Optimus gently set me down onto the ground where I nearly collapsed with dizziness, since the fight the nausea had gotten worse and showed no sign of yielding. Optimus also felt a bit dizzy too. Optimus then transformed too into the sanguine red and cobalt blue semi! I was seriously weirded out as I clambered into him again and slumped down in the passenger seat. The seat felt slightly larger than before but I but it down to seeing Optimus in his 'robot form' as he called it. Optimus then drove away towards the rock formations that dotted the horizon. But there was no one driving!<p>

"Do not worry Emerald, I am still driving." reassured Optimus

"But, your human form..."

"That was just a holo-form; it may look, act and feel human but there are in fact way stronger than a human." Optimus explained.

"Oh, ok. That makes sense." I replied drowsily. There was a long night ahead of us and I couldn't shake the sick sensation I had in the pit of my stomach.


	3. Dreaming, Chasing and Screaming Again

We were still in the desert when the sun rose. I'd slid down into Optimus' seat slightly as I fell asleep slowly. Just as my eyes closed, I saw the scenery slowing down to a halt and a warm blanket being pulled over me.

* * *

><p>I was walking down a small alleyway in the dead of night. I had a feeling I was being followed but I didn't turn nor could I run, I just kept on going; facing the bitter chill of the summerwinter night air. Suddenly, a gunshot sounded from behind me but I felt nothing strike me in the back. I then started running into the inky blackness and the shadows swallowed me whole.

* * *

><p>A few hours later and I'd reached an isolated area of the desert, or so I originally thought. There was nothing but rock formations and a strange wooden shack. There was a man outside the wooden shack and I asked him where I was. He said I was in Jasper, Nevada but I couldn't believe him. I thought I was back in Britain but it was simply too hot to be home. The man then got up and went inside the shack. After a few minutes of waiting he came back out with a glass of green energy drink. He offered it to me and I drank it gratefully and ravenously; I hadn't had anything to drink since at least a day or two ago and I even surprised myself as I gulped down the apple-and-strawberry tasting drink. It was quite nice but it soon changed into something very unpleasant and I had to be sick… but I couldn't. I didn't understand what was going on, I could puke it up but I couldn't too. I tried again and again and again but to no avail. Soon a wave on nausea bowled over me and I collapsed onto the ground on my bum, hard. Tears nearly welled up in my eyes because of the sharp pain that was shooting through my spine and skull; it was so intense I almost blacked out.<p>

Seconds passed and the pain didn't stop. My spine and all of my bones in my entire body suddenly cracked and I screamed in unbearable agony. I tried to stand up but I was forced onto all fours as my surroundings suddenly got bigger and vaster. My entire body was hurting so bad I was crying and sobbing to no one. The man had picked me up and taken me into the shack and placed me onto the floor where the pain still hadn't subsided. It had managed to tone itself down a bit but a strange tingling feeling possessed my body. I looked down at my bare arms and saw patches of fur growing on my skin; I cried out in alarm and confusion. There was black fur growing all over my body! I lifted my hands towards me to inspect the fur but my fingers started curling downwards uncontrollably and pink pads were growing. I tried to stop it but the same was happening with my other hand and, soon, my feet. The same pink pads were growing and my thumbs moved down away from my fingers and they soon became small and useless. After a while the fur had completely covered my entire body and even my face! My hands and feet came to resemble an animal's paws and I twisted my head around to look at the base of my spine where a cat's tail was lolling lazily around. I could feel my heels moving up my legs and, then, the worst part came. My skull felt like it was being torn apart! Searing hot pain flashed through my face and I screamed in pain again. The man came and placed a mirror in front of me. I had turned into a cat! I tried to cry but couldn't as the man picked me up and petted me, oblivious to my yowls and cries for help. Then I realised I couldn't talk; I could only yowl and meow! I was horrified and I tried scratching the man.

He stopped petting me and he took me to a blue and red Peterbilt semi that was waiting outside the shack. I immediately recognised the semi, it was Optimus' vehicle mode! The man placed me in the passenger seat and I looked up at him. It was Optimus in his holo-form! I couldn't understand what was going on as he started the engine. After several hours of driving, horns sounded from all around me. My newly developed ears couldn't stand the blasts of noise and I tried to bury my head in the seat. The horns increased in volume until my ears couldn't take it anymore and I fell into blackness…. blackness…. blackness…

* * *

><p><em><strong>HONK! HONK! HONNNKKKK!<strong>_

"Emerald wake up!" I jolted awake with a start and immediately checked my arms and hands for any telltale signs the dream was true. Thankfully, it wasn't. "Emerald! Are you awake?" it was Optimus' voice almost yelling at me to wake up, concern lacing his baritone voice.

"I'm awake Optimus, what's wrong?" I replied groggily

"We're being followed again and I need you completely alert for whatever happens next, ok?"

"Ok. but what is gonna happen?" I said

"I'm calling for pickup from my friends, ok? But don't freak out cos it won't help anything, got it?" I nodded.

"Optimus to Base, Ratchet can you hear me?" Optimus said through something called a ''. Static was followed by a reply.

"Optimus, this is Ratchet. We hear you loud and clear!" There was a gruff voice in the reply

"Ratchet we need a ground bridge! we're being tailgated by Knock Out and Breakdown again!" said Optimus, what in the blazes was a 'ground bridge' and who was the other guy on the end of the Comm. Link?

"Understood but be careful, the ground bridge is playing up again; after effects of the Scraplet infestation we had." What the hell was a 'Scraplet'?

"Optimus what the hell is a 'ground bridge' and a 'Scraplet'?" I asked, feeling like I was being ignored.

"Optimus, who is that with you? That is most definately NOT one of ours!" Said Ratchet who was clearly annoyed at my presence.

"Ratchet, I really don't have time for this! Ground bridge now and I'll introduce you both to each other!" demanded Optimus. Suddenly a blue-green vortex opened up from the middle of nowhere! And Optimus was driving straight into it!

"OPTIMUS!" I screamed, forgetting everything he said about remaining calm just as three other robots; one yellow, one green and one blue; came running out of the vortex to fight Knock Out and Breakdown. Optimus braked and I got out as he transformed into bi-pedal mode. He knelt down and lifted me onto his shoulder-plates as he ran through the rest of the vortex, which had changed to purple.

"uhh, Optimus? Is it supposed to be purple?" I asked nervously as the enitre vortex pulsed faster and faster.

"It isn't supposed to be purple..." Optimus trailed off as his Comm. Link activated, Ratchet's voice on the other end.

::Optimus get out of the ground bridge now!::

::What? Why is the ground bridge vortex _purple_ Ratchet?::

::There's been a short-circuit in the machinery and it's about to collapse on itself! Get out of there unless you want to be stuck in the Shadowzone!::

And with that, Ratchet rung off as Optimus ran towards the end of the ground bridge where another robot, a red and white one, was waiting with four humans. I screamed as the other three bounded past us and a blinding white light engulfed Optimus and I, sending me into a world of blackness again...


	4. A New Home And Another Mystery To Solve

When I awoke I could feel a soft nuzzling on my shoulder. I opened my emerald eyes with some difficulty; it felt like they'd been glued shut.

"Emerald? Are you ok?" I could hear Optimus' voice, he sounded very concerned yet… _vulnerable_. I lifted my head only to receive a shooting pain dart through my side. I could feel something warm trickling down my side onto my stomach; I then realised I was lying on my side.

"Optimus? Where are we? What happened?" I asked in a small voice; my mouth felt strange, like my canine teeth were sharp and pointed and my tongue like sandpaper. I tried to stand up but only succeeded in rolling onto all fours. It reminded me of the oh-so-vivid dream I'd had before the accident with the ground bridge.

"Hey, careful! You're injured and I've no idea where we are, the land layout looks completely different from this perspective." This baffled me; Optimus was a 25ft tall robot and he couldn't see where we were? Ridiculous! I tried to walk but the same shooting pain seared through my side again.

"Owww, what happened?" I tried again; I couldn't see where Optimus was because there was barely any moonlight and no streetlights were on, or none that I could see.

"The ground bridge suffered a malfunction which catapulted us elsewhere, or to the previous ground bridge coordinates… which I have no idea where that is or was." Optimus briefly explained. I nodded in understanding although he couldn't see me and I took in my surroundings: obviously in suburbia in Jasper, probably near to a house or hotel or something. Then I noticed that everything looked _bigger_.

"Hey, Optimus?" I said nervously

"Mmm?"

"Is it just me or does everything look bigger than it was?"

"Hmmm, everything does look larger and more vast." He said after a moment's pause. Suddenly the streetlights lit up and I got my first taste of my surroundings. It was a massive shock. I knew people said it was a big world but this was _ridiculous._ We were outside a house underneath a hedge and the house was massive! I looked at Optimus, or I thought it was him. It was actually a rust-red and murky-blue cat with abnormally azure-blue eyes that stared _down_ at me. I felt extremely vulnerable and small as the giant cat padded towards me. I instinctively took a few steps back towards the house's front door.

"Emerald, Don't worry."

"Oh. My. GOD! Optimus! That's you!" I deadpanned. Optimus smiled, or he did the cat equivalent.

"Yes, it is I."

"But if you're a cat, then I'm…" realisation hit me like a ton of bricks. Reality as I vaguely knew it washed away, leaving no evidence that it had ever existed.

"A cat." Optimus finished. I felt faint with sheer shock and I nearly collapsed again.

"Ok, two questions: 1) what colours am I? And 2) how come you're a lot bigger than me?" I asked dumbfounded and flabbergasted.

"1) You're black and the tips of your ears and tail are slightly green plus you have emerald eyes and 2) you're about the size of a kitten" he answered softly as he came ever closer and curled his tail around me. I shivered when I felt it tickle my back, "and you're freezing!" he exclaimed as he held me closer to his body for warmth. He wasn't as cold; in fact, he was a hell of a lot warmer than me!

* * *

><p>A blue motorbike pulled up the house's driveway and we cowered back further into the hedge. There was a young boy riding the motorcycle and Optimus gasped when the boy removed his helmet.<p>

"What is it?" I asked, suddenly afraid.

"I know that boy! That is Jack Darby!" Optimus breathed. Jack Darby? I'd heard of his name before but I couldn't place it. "His Guardian is my good friend Arcee!" Jack was wheeling Arcee into the garage and was just about to close the door when Optimus darted out from under the hedge, leaving me on my own. I saw Optimus bit the end of Jack's trouser leg as the boy was leaving the garage. He bent down and I was afraid he was going to hurt Optimus. But instead, he petted him.

"Hey, where'd you come from little guy?" Optimus meowed and tugged on his sleeve, "so you want me to follow you, huh?" Jack stood up and Optimus ran towards me.

"Hey, come one! Jack can give us a shelter for a few nights!" Optimus nudged me towards the hedge opening just as Jack knelt down and peered inside. I cowered back from him, the cut in my thigh making me wince. Suddenly Optimus picked me up with the scruff of my neck in his mouth.

"Eep!" I was startled as Optimus dropped me into Jack's outstretched hands. I struggled to get away but Optimus pushed me back into his hands.

"Aww, so cute. Hey, you're hurt!" Jack said, "Arcee! Look what I found!" Jack called as he entered the warm, cosy garage. He shut the garage door as soon as Optimus was inside and Arcee transformed into her robot mode. I yelped in surprise and fright as she bent down to get a closer look at me. Optimus ran straight over and nuzzled at her foot. Arcee almost shook her foot to get rid of Optimus but stopped when something caught her eye.

"Hey, Jack, look at this," Arcee said as Jack came over with me still in his warm, smooth hands, "do you recognise this pattern on this little guy's back?" Jack shook his head.

"No, why?" Arcee picked up Optimus much to his surprise and he yowled loudly. Arcee gently stroked a pattern on Optimus' back and at first he arched it, then he lay down in Arcee's hand.

"I only know one person in the universe who has a pattern like that on his back." Arcee said as she lowered her hand to allow Jack to see, "Look, see that little lightning-shaped scar beneath his fur? Optimus has a scar just like that from when he first encountered Megatron's swords, he's had it ever since." Arcee stated with a hint of worry in her voice. Jack, however, looked pretty confused; I could tell by the way his eyebrows had knitted together.

"Ok, hang on a minute Arcee, I'm just gonna call my mom and see if she can get off her night-shift early. And if she can't I'm gonna call Ratchet and see if he can get down here." Jack said as he placed me onto a warm blanket, "Oh! I'm also going to get a First Aid kit to help this little one. Be right back!" and with that he left the garage, leaving Optimus and I in Arcee's care.

"Optimus? Is that you?" Arcee said to the blue and red cat in her hand. Optimus nuzzled Arcee's hand and nodded in response, "Oh. My. Primus! What happened to you? Who's the little cat with you?" Optimus couldn't reply for he could no longer speak English. Arcee's features creased and she frowned. After a few minutes, Jack came back in with a laptop, a First Aid kit and a proper cat's basket big enough for me and Optimus.

"Jack! I know who this cat is!" Arcee said, Jack placed me in the basket and set up a link on the laptop, "are you making a video call to Raf?"

"Yep, but while its loading I'll bandage the kitten. Who's the cat?" Jack said as he set to work stitching up my cut, I made no fuss and I held still as the needle was threaded through.

"Its Optimus," Jack nearly slipped in his work, "the malfunction with the ground bridge must've done this."

"Bu-? What? How can it be Optimus?" Jack spluttered after he'd finished mending my thigh, "how can he be a cat?" The laptop beeped and Jack replaced me into the basket alongside Optimus. A picture of a young boy wearing glasses popped up and a Japanese girl was sat next to him.

"Hey Jack, hey Arcee. You guys called?" the young boy had to be Raf

"Hey Raf, hey Miko," Ahh, so the girl was called Miko, "yeah I did actually, we've found Optimus." Three more faces appeared behind Raf and Miko. I recognised them from the ground bridge.

"Impossible! He isn't appearing on any of my scans!" It was Ratchet that spoke, he was the red and white mech I'd noticed from the other side of the ground bridge.

_"Beep whirr whistle chirp!"_ It was the yellow bot who spoke but I couldn't understand a word he had said.

"Bumblebee asks if you could elaborate on that claim, Jack." Raf translated; so the yellow bot was called Bumblebee.

"Sure, well, I'm not sure I can explain it too easily without being able to show you what's happened." Jack admitted, "Bu if one of you could pick up some "special cargo" we've got, preferably Bulkhead..." the large green bot was called Bulkhead then!

"Sure, but Miko, you're stayin here! I mean it!" Bulkhead said to Miko, probably his charge.

"Awwww," Miko whined and she slumped in her seat, arms folded.

"Sorry Miko but you might frighten the "sepcial cargo"." Said Jack apologetically, "see you in ten minutes Bulkhead?" Bulkhead nodded and walked out of the camera shot.

A couple of minutes later, after Jack had been in search of a pet carrier, Optimus picked me up by the scruff of my neck again and padded into the pet carrier. He gently set me down and I couldn't resist the urge to snuggle up against his warm, smooth-as-silk body. We were then set onto Bulkhead's passenger seat and we set off for their base... wherever that was.

* * *

><p>We soon arrived at the Autobot base and I was asleep; Optimus picked me up and padded out to where the two human children and four Autobots were waiting.<p>

"Awwwww! They're sooooo cute!" squealed Miko as Optimus set me down again. I unconsciously snuggled back up to him and fell even deeper asleep, only to be woken up as my awesome warm pillow was snatched away from me and I flopped onto my side. Thankfully it wasn't the side I'd damaged. Miko had Optimus on her lap and was stoking him and petting him; I took it that Jack and Arcee hadn't yet told them who we were.

"Uh, Miko, you might wanna put him down," said Jack, "you don't quite understand what's goin on here."

"Too right I don't !" Miko agreed, "Where'd you get them?"

"Miko, I found them underneath one of mom's hedges. The kitten was injured so be careful with her." Miko looked at Jack puzzled

"How did you know it was a girl?" Jack rolled his eyes.

"_I _didn't. Arcee found it out." I betted that if Arcee were human, she'd be blushing by now.

"Ewww, Arcee how'd you find that out?" Miko grimaced at the thought of Arcee looking at my "under carriage" as did I. I gingerly got to my paws and padded up to Bumblebee and Raf, wanting to be held like Optimus was. Raf gently picked me up and cradled me in his arms as Bumblebee transformed and switched on his holo-form. He, too, began stroking me. I'd never felt so relaxed and at ease in my entire life. I felt like I could fall right asleep there and then...

"Jack, who did you say these cats were again?" Said Ratchet impatiently.

"Well..."


	5. Nervous Breakdown And A Conversation

Three minutes of stunned silence passed when Jack had finished explaining all he knew. Ratchet was the one to break the silence and tension.

"YOU WHAT?" everyone turned to look at him in surprise, "HOW IN ALL THAT'S FRAGGING HOLY IS THAT EVEN SLAGGIN POSSIBLE? THAT CANNOT BE OPTIMUS!" Ratchet was near screaming now as he let out a chain of Unforgivable Cybertronian/English Cusses. Optimus quickly placed his paws over my ears and the three human children covered each other's. Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead all had surprised, concerned and downright dumfounded looks upon their faces as Ratchet raged and ranted for seven minutes flat. During his rant he'd managed to somehow fry his CPU and, with a sickening _fizzzhhhttt! CRACK! _Ratchet collapsed on the spot, unconscious and in stasis lock.

"_Whirr whistle bleep!" _chirped Bumblebee; Raf didn't even go to translate his Guardian's words. When we were sure it was safe and the air was clear of cusses temporarily, Optimus removed his paws from my ears and the children did so too. Jack, Raf and Miko all exchanged glances with their Guardians as they realised they had no one to help repair the grouchy old medic. Raf sighed and said that he'd try to fix Ratchet as long as someone kept him pinned down while he worked. Bulkhead agreed to help pin down Ratchet should he try to get away. It was actually rather funny in some aspects and Optimus started shaking.

"Optimus, what's wrong?" I said worriedly

"Dammed, stupid cat shape can't fraggin laugh." Said Optimus slightly annoyed, he was trying to laugh at Ratchet's demise.

"Yeah, I guess cats don't know when to take a joke." I said and we both looked at each other and did the cat equivalent of grinning wide toothy grins. Miko and Jack the picked us up and set us down on the couch where they started playing with Jack's laptop. I was struck by a grand idea. I jumped down from the couch and onto the table where the laptop was set and started pawing at the keys.

"Hey! Get off the laptop!" Jack exclaimed, I kept on pawing until I managed to open up a Word Document. I sat down and started typing as Optimus came over to me.

"Hey, Emerald what are you doing?" Optimus queried, a look of complete puzzlement on his face. I looked up at him and smiled.

"What do you want to say?" a blank look, "What do you want me to type down? My paws are small enough to hit the keys." I gestured to the screen where I'd typed OPTIMUS:

Realisation dawned on Optimus' face and he gave me a string of sentences to type down.

**OPTIMUS: Yes, Jack, it is really me. My friend here is called Emerald; she was the other person with me as we travelled through the ground bridge. I also rescued her from a party where Knock Out and Breakdown threatened to shoot someone if I didn't show myself**

**EMERALD: Hi**

"HEY, RAF! BULKHEAD! You guys are gonna wanna see this!" Miko yelled to the others and they all crowded around the screen. Raf then picked up the laptop and plugged it into the larger screens so the Autobots could read them better. A couple of seconds passed as each read the words on the word document. Optimus nudged me and I began typing more.

**OPTIMUS: I hope this isn't too freaky for you all, the last thing we need is the rest of you having… what do you call it?**

**EMERALD: Nervous breakdown?**

**OPTIMUS: Yes. Ah Ratchet, good to see you could finally join us!**

Just as I'd typed this, Ratchet had recovered from his nervous breakdown and was stomping over to where everyone else was crowded.

"What's going on now? I thought I said not to stare at the screens… like… that…" Ratchet trailed off when he saw the typing on said screens. He took a moment to read it all and pouted at the mention of his 'nervous breakdown'.

**OPTIMUS: Do you have any idea how this was caused Ratchet? The ground bridge malfunction?"**

**EMERALD: Yeah, it started pulsing purple as we went through it**

**OPTIMUS: Then the next thing we knew we were outside Jack's house.**

**EMERALD: Thanks for patching up my leg Jack, great job!**

I could see a fierce crimson rising in Jack's cheeks and for a second, I envied him for being more human than me.  
>"Welcome," he mumbled.<p>

**OPTIMUS: Also, nice job Arcee for recognising that pattern/scar on my back. And yes, Emerald is typing out what I say.**

**EMERALD: Only coz my paws are small enough to do so… *blushes* :D**

**OPTIMUS: Any questions?**

"Um, yeah." It was Raf, "how did you manage to find Jack's house? And, no offence Emerald, but why did you keep Emerald with you?"

**OPTIMUS: We didn't find Jack's house, it was where the ground bridge had catapulted us after it had collapsed. I kept Emerald with me because I was taking her to here because she'd already seen us. Meaning whilst I was fighting Knock Out and Breakdown**

**EMERALD: Yeah, I saw him and the other two in their robot form. Plus I saw them all transform and stuff… ;D**

**OPTIMUS: Correct. But we still are no closer to solving why the ground bridge collapse transformed Emerald and I into cats.**

**EMERALD: Maybe it was the horrible energy drink we had? I had a nightmare bout that… *shudders***

**OPTIMUS: It is possible…. And it did taste disgusting…. Plus it looked bright green and that man looked familiar….**

**EMERALD: you never said that man looked familiar!**

"Guys, guys! Can we not start fighting please? We need to determine a cure for this!" Arcee raised her voice as she played 'the peacekeeper among friends'.

"Yeah Arcee's right. We have to find a cure for this and you two fighting isn't going to help us in any way!"

Optimus and I exchanged looks of slight guilt and I turned my attention to the laptop again.

**OPTIMUS: Sorry about that but he did look familiar.**

**EMERALD: understood and sorry :(**

**OPTIMUS: it is more than likely that that man was a part of M.E.C.H and was out there to do Silas' dirty work**

**EMERALD: *confused face* M.E.C.H? And who's Silas?**

**OPTIMUS: M.E.C.H are a deviant secret organisation that have their cold hearts and twisted minds set on capturing and dissecting a Cybertronian, of any side. Thankfully, they have never succeeded in fully dismantling one of use for we always manage to rescue them. Their leader is an equally vicious and unpleasant man named Silas.**

**EMERALD: Who were unlucky enough to get captured and why would they want to do this? Unless it was the Decepticons?**

**OPTIMUS: It is unlikely the Decepticons would team up with M.E.C.H but if they both had the same goals of rendering the Autobots useless then the circumstances are likely. Arcee and Breakdown were unfortunate to get captured; both were rescued before any major damage was done… Breakdown lost his optic though… that was particularly nasty…**

**EMERALD: I'll take your word for it, hopefully it wasn't M.E.C.H nor the Decepticons that had a helping hand in this.**

**OPTIMUS: but we realistically need to find a cure for this, Ratchet? Any ideas?**

"I would prefer to run a few scans on you two to check on any viruses or anything that might be of any harm to you first. Then I can see about how to change you back but it might take a while, I haven't finished repairing the systems yet."

**EMERALD: that reminds me, you never told me what a scraplet is**

**OPTIMUS: I'd rather not explain. They are a type of vermin that even Megatron is afraid of. Perhaps the children could explain it to you later. *Shudders at memory***

**EMERALD: Oh ok**

"Optimus, I'm tired and I'm hungry." I yawned as I stretched, "are you?" Optimus shook his head

"No, I need to go over a few things with Ratchet and the other Autobots first. Perhaps the children will find you some food and a place to rest?"

"Ok, I'll see if they can help." And I padded over to Raf and started trying to climb up his leg.

"Oh, hey there Emerald. What's the matter?" Raf said as he opened up a Word Document on his laptop. He lifted me up onto his lap and allowed me to type,

**Tired and hungry plus I'm cold.**

"Ohhhh, ok. Jack!" Raf called. Jack came over and asked what was the matter. Raf showed him the screen and Jack nodded in understanding.

"I see. I think I can get some stuff for you plus my mom'll be off her shift at the hospital so she can come and help." Seeing confusion in my eyes he added, "she's also a partial vet." I nodded and I collapsed onto Raf's lap as he shut down the laptop and stroked me.

* * *

><p>It was well after midnight by the time me and Optimus had been fed and given a bed. Jack had taken forever to get back with his mum and the supplies. Turns out June knows all about the Autobots and Decepticons plus the situation with me and Optimus. She laughed a bit but aside from that, she was really nice. June read the conversation we'd had over the computer documents, fed us some milk and gave us a nice warm blanket to sleep on. The blanket was placed on the largest berth, the medbay one. God knows why but Ratchet said that it kinda made sense so I just went along with it.<p>

I was snuggled up against Optimus as he curled his large fluffy tail around me, almost like he was protecting me from the others; it was quite nice. The base was always emitting a low hum but it was just the computers. Ratchet, Bumblebee, Arcee and Bulkhead had all retreated back to their quarters and Jack, Raf, Miko and June all went home for the night; it was just me and Optimus alone in the main room of the base. It was a few minutes before I could properly go to sleep, there was so much adrenalin coursing through me and I found it difficult to remain still; thankfully, I managed to drift to sleep where no dreams haunted me.


	6. Project: Emerald

I was restless during the night, I tossed and turned but I couldn't get comfortable. Several times I'd ended up kicking Optimus in the stomach by accident and I hadn't woken him up. I, however, had woken up twenty-odd times; on all occasions, I'd drifted back to sleep but on the current one, Optimus was singing in Cybertronian to me. It was a soft lullaby that was made even more relaxing by Optimus' baritone voice; he was amazing at singing and I was stunned. I eventually went back to sleep, my tail curling up against Optimus'.

* * *

><p>Morning came and I pried my eyes open. It was 6.a.m. The base looked different somehow but I couldn't quite see how. I was facing the wall and, as I rolled onto my back, I saw there was a blanket over Optimus and me. I rolled onto my other side to face Optimus. Except it wasn't Optimus as a cat anymore. He was in his holo-form. I thought nothing of it and snuggled back down in Optimus' arms and fell back asleep.<p>

* * *

><p>I woke up again about an hour later. It was 7.a.m. The base still looked different. I opened my eyes again and I saw my face was buried in Optimus' chest. Chest? It wasn't a furry chest; it was a T-shirted chest. I looked down at my hands and realised we weren't cats anymore! I was so relieved that I nudged Optimus to wake up. He didn't.<p>

"Optimus, get up" I murmured gently. He rolled onto his back, pulling me in closer to him and cuddled me for a while. I couldn't help but cringe as I felt the colour rising in my cheeks. "Optimus, wake up and let go!" I sighed; he just wasn't letting go of me.

* * *

><p>Half an hour passed and Ratchet wandered in to see to the monitors. He hesitated when he saw Optimus in his holo-form holding me like a toy; I knew I'd always been "cuddly like a toy" and "small enough to be one" but this was just daft.<p>

"Ratchet," I whispered, careful not to disturb Optimus, "can you wake him up for me please? He won't get up and there's no feeling in my right arm!" Ratchet raised his optics to the heavens and came over to the Medbay berth.

"Optimus, wake up now!" he said quite loudly. Optimus jumped awake and sat up, still holding me like a teddy. I could feel the colour rising in my cheeks again when he realised he was still holding me. He quickly let go and apologised, "Thank you Prime, now if you don't mind, GET OUT OF THE BERTH!" Ratchet all but yelled. Optimus kind of glared at his medic but he didn't move. I scooted away from Optimus a bit and lay back down for a few more minutes of sleep.

"Hey, Emerald. Wake up." Now that wasn't fair, I'd just spent ages trying to wake him up and now he wants _me _up? I grumbled and sat back up just as a massive wave of nausea washed over me, making me groan. "What's wrong?"

"I feel sick, really,_ really _sick." I said, taking a deep breath. Ratchet knelt down and scanned me.

"Hmm, well your body shows signs of it working in good order… hang on… what in the Pit is that?" Ratchet analysed as he tilted my head sideways to face Optimus. I shrugged, not knowing what he was on about. Ratchet suddenly poked something on my temple and my eyesight suddenly went all blurry.

"ARGH! RATCHET I CAN'T SEE!" I cried out. Ratchet did the same on the other side of my head and an increasingly sharp pain jolted through my eyes and my eyesight went completely out of whack. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?" I nearly yelled at him as I rubbed my eyes, the pain never ceasing.

"HEY! Just hold on a moment!" Ratchet kind of grabbed my head again and pressed another thing on my temples and my eyelids closed. When I opened them again, everything was coming back into focus as Ratchet was shining a light into my eyes.

"Hmm, strange. Your eyes are purely green, no pupil in them…" I wasn't listening to the crazy old medic and I turned my attention to the random bits of data that came streaming across my vision. Then the words "VOICE COMMAND NEEDED TO ACTIVATE PROJECT: EMERALD" flashed out at me, making me cry out in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Optimus said as I rubbed my eyes again and again but the words didn't go away.

"There's _data_ all across my vision! A really big bit that says 'VOICE COMMAND NEEDED TO ACTIVATE PROJECT: EMERALD'!" I replied shakily. Ratchet gasped.

"Emerald! Your body is running diagnostics!" This puzzled me.

"Why? Is that a bad thing?"

"It shouldn't be doing that! You're an _organic, _only _Cybertronian_ bodies can do that!" Ratchet said as he fed the information from the scanner into the main computer, "not even _techno-organics _can do that!"

"What in the world is a techno-organic? What are you on about?" I asked angrily, I wanted to know what was going on and I wanted to know now! Optimus reached over and touched my arm gently.

"Ratchet means that only Cybertronians can run diagnostics on their bodies, organics cannot. A techno-organic is like a crossover between a Cybertronian and an organic life form." These words sunk in like a mosquito may bite its victim… and I was its victim.

"But-but, I can't be a Cybertronian! I'm human… right?" I had no idea what I was anymore; first I was a human, then I was a cat but now I didn't know what I was. I put my head in my hands.

"Emerald," Ratchet said as he knelt down to me again, "what did you say the really big bit of data said?" it was still in my vision.

"Voice command needed to activate Project: Emerald." I said shakily. Ratchet and Optimus exchanged baffled looks. "What does that mean?" Optimus was the one who answered.

"We don't know, not yet but we're gonna do everything in our power to find out. But you must promise me that you won't try anything stupid while we do ok? It could hurt you if we activated "Project: Emerald" so you're just gonna have to sit tight and wait, ok?" I nodded, "Thank you. Perhaps I should get Bumblebee to take you down to the Training Room, just so you can get your head around things, yeah?" I nodded again as Optimus returned to his robot mode. I didn't understand how he could do that considering his vehicle mode was nowhere nearby. Optimus commed Bumblebee, explained the situation and we waited for Bee to arrive.

* * *

><p>When Bumblebee did arrive, he kind of <em>stared <em>at me.

"Uh, Bee? You're making me uncomfortable." I said after a while. Bumblebee chirped an apology.

_"Oh, sorry! I just wasn't expecting you guys to change back so soon! Shall we get down to the Training Room then?" _I nodded, not realising at first that I'd understood him.

"Oh my GOD!" I gasped in shock, "Bee, I just understood what you just said! But Jack and Miko and June can't!" I was freaking out big time, I was just like Raf! He could understand Bumblebee's speech pattern too!

"O-o-o-o-o-k-k-k," said Optimus uncertaintly, "do you two want to go down the the Training Room then?" I just nodded and followed Bee down the long corridors towards said Training Room.

* * *

><p>Arcee and Bulkhead were already up and gasped when I entered; I was still wearing my white dress. Arcee and Bulkhead were sparring when we joined them and they turned and stared at me too. Crimson was rising in my cheeks as they stared until Bumblebee clapped his hands together and told them why I was down here.<p>

_"Ok you guys! Stop staring! Emerald is down here coz Optimus said so coz she needs to clear her head of the past few minutes' events, ok? Basically her body is running diagnostics and she has optics, not eyes." _Bumblebee said. Finally Arcee and Bulkhead stopped staring and the all began a three-way sparring match. I sat at the side by the door, watching patiently and quietly. After an hour or two, Arcee and Bulkhead left the Training Room to re-energise. Bumblebee was cooling his systems after a fierce spar with Arcee; who knew the small femme could move like lightning?

_"Hey, you ok?" _Bumblebee came sat down next to me and allowed me to climb onto his shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm just trying to get my head around all the stuff Ratchet was saying bout optics and diagnostics and stuff." I replied hesitantly; Bumblebee was a really sweet mech but I wasn't sure I should be telling him all this.

_"Hey, don't worry bout it! The doc-bot will fix ya up real good and you'll be better in no time!"_

"Hope so Bee, hope so." I smiled

_"What kinda data was runnin cross ya vision?" _

"Well, it said 'Voice Command Needed to Activate Project: Emerald... whatever that is." Bumblebee shifted uncomfortably and I wobbled on his shoulder, "what's the matter Bee?"

_"Nothing, I'm just worried bout ya is all" _Bumblebee shook his head. I could understand this. I patted his shoulder plating. He then set me down on the ground again and went to re-energise too, leaving me by myself just as the same data ran across my vision again. I growled at it.

"What are you growling at?" I jumped, Optimus had somehow managed to enter the Training Room without being heard.

"The same data is running across my vision again." I said

"'Voice Command Needed To Activate Project: Emerald'?" Optimus asked. Before I could reply, my body went into a form of spasm and I cried aloud in pain and shock.

"EMERALD!" Optimus shouted as I curled up into a ball on the floor of the Training Room. My back felt like it was shifting as did the rest of the bones in my body. I nearly screamed in agony as I dropped to my knees. My eyesight went all blurry again and this time, it went completely out of focus.

The last thing I could see before blackness swallowed me again was Optimus running towards me, catching me before I hit the ground.

_Blackness... blackness... blackness..._


	7. Project: Emerald ACTIVATED

When I awoke, I found that the doors to the Training Room were locked and Optimus was nowhere in sight. My body was hurting all over from my position on the floor.

"OPTIMUS!" I screamed, holding on to the dying hope within me.

"EMERALD!" Optimus yelled back; his voice was muffled, he must be on the other side of the doors. The hope I had sparked a bit but then dwindled completely as pain wrenched me down to the pits of Hell and tortured me like a sinner. I had never been religious but I did believe in God and the Devil and, right now, the Devil was making his presence known in my mind. I yelled in pain again as white hot fire flared to life all across my body; my skin felt like it was burning up, my eyes could only see white pain and my throat was becoming hoarse with all the screaming I was doing.

"EMERALD! WHAT'S GOING ON?" Optimus yelled again, this time losing all masks he had to hide his emotions.

"DO I SOUND LIKE I KNOW?" I shrieked. I screamed again as the white-hot pain reached its peak, my body felt heavy and I couldn't lift my head to see what was going on. The pain was slowly subsiding but the feeling of my body burning didn't. I managed to haul myself up from the floor where I lay and, immediately, I could tell something was really, really wrong. The floor seemed further away and the roof, closer. Suddenly the doors burst open as Optimus and Bumblebee threw all their weight against it.

"Bumblebee! Get Ratchet, NOW!" Ordered Optimus. His baritone voice sounded muffled but that wasn't what unnerved me; I was a hell of a lot closer to his height. Bumblebee nodded and sprinted out of the Training Room, his footsteps echoing around the room. Optimus took a step closer towards me and I took one back; I had no intentions of finding out what was going on. My optics, that was their proper name, regained sight properly and the room was like it was spinning around me.

A searing pain ripped through my heart and I collapsed to one knee. Optimus ran forwards but I screamed something, something in another language… something in Cybertronian. My hand flew to my chest, as the pain ripped through me again and again in a pattern, like a heartbeat. I stood again but the room swayed dangerously and I collapsed into a world of pain. I wasn't unconscious, no, not yet. Optimus took another step closer but I thrust my arm out with my hand vertical; I screamed a phrase in Cybertronian and the next thing I knew was my hand lighting up with a green light, Optimus getting thrown back into the wall and me passing out again as Hell consumed my body and tortured it for the next I-don't-know-how-many hours.

* * *

><p>I could feel someone carrying me somewhere. I was too exhausted from my painful ordeal to even bother to online my optics or ask where we were going so I shut down for a while longer.<p>

* * *

><p>When I actually onlined my optics properly, all I could see was the ceiling of the base. I could feel stuff poking into me from all over. I could see more of the blasted data running across my vision as my body started running more freaking diagnostics. I growled at the data again when someone came into view. It was Ratchet and, for once, he looked very concerned. Although he was a little fuzzy round the edges, that didn't stop me from realising he was a lot closer to me and a lot smaller than I remembered. I then remembered that I'd hurt Optimus and sat up in a rush, only to be forced back down again onto the cold metal berth. A sharp needle was jabbed into my neck and the world dimmed again as I fell back into a seemingly dreamless slumber.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>I was on Cybertron.<strong>

**It was before the war.**

**The war that ravaged the planet.**

**The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. **

**The war between Optimus Prime and Megatron. **

**There were twelve pillars of light, all of them forming a circle. **

****There were two colours to the pillars: six red and six blue.****

**I could only assume that the red were for Decepticons and the blue for the Autobots.**

**In the middle of each pillar, six Autobots and six Decepticons were suspended.**

**Six Decepticons were in the red shafts of light and six Autobots were in the blue shafts of light.**

**I was right.**

**I recognised five of the Autobots.**

**Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Arcee and Bulkhead were all suspended in the blue.**

**I didn't recognise one of them, he was red all over and reminded me of Knock Out.**

**It wasn't Knock Out, apparently he was called Cliffjumper.**

**Optimus descended from his pillar of light and spoke,**

_**"Emerald, do not be afraid. We are here to guide you in your new form." **_

__**New form? This alarmed me. I was human and nothing more, nothing less.**

**Suddenly, a Decepticon descended from his red pillar of light and laughed menacingly.**

**He sent shivers running down my spine.**

_**"Well well well, what have we here? Emerald huh?"**_

_**"Emerald, try to ignore him, he is tryng to guide you down a Decepticon's path."**_

**"But who is he?"**

_**"I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons and YOU are of no use to Optimus Prime!"**_

**"How wrong you are!" I couldn't stop myself from sneering at him, this was so unlike me.**

_**"Emerald, come with me. Walk with me for a bit. Megatron, stay here... or else." **_

**I obediently followed Optimus away from the pillars.**

**"Optimus? What did you mean 'new form'?" I asked**

_**"Do you remember the pain from the Training Room earlier?"**_

__**I nodded, grimacing at the memory.**

_**"Well, I accidentally activated Project: Emerald, the name of the Cybertronian project from which you were created."**_

__**I frowned in confusion.**

**"What do you mean? What Cybertronian project?"**

_**"All will be revealed. But you must wake up."**_

__**"But I don't want to wake up. I like it here!" I argued**

**Optimus shook his head and placed his hands on my shoulders.**

_**"You must wake up Emerald, Ratchet and I will be able to help you in reality. This is just a dream. If you remain here then you will remain here forever and you will end up living through the war. Do you want that?"**_

__**I shook my head and sighed.**

**"Ok, I'll go." I said reluctantly.**

**Everything dissolved into nothing and I fell back into the blackness of the shadows that devoured me once more.**


	8. Explanations And My First Battle

**Designation: Emerald**

**Faction: Autobot**

**Age: -**

**Gender: Female**

**Height: -**

**Weight: -**

**Status: ONLINE**

* * *

><p>My head was spinning and when I onlined my optics, the whole world was spinning too. I couldn't remember what had happened, my mind was like it had been wiped blank.<p>

**Cybertron Before war**

**Pillars of light**

**Optimus**

**Megatron**

**Dream**

**New form**

I remembered! It took me a while to remember all that happened and was said in the dream. But I remembered nonetheless! I tried to sit up again but only to be forced down _again_. I tried to lift my hand to my head but someone held it pinned. My mind entered panic mode as I tried to move; then I realised it was Bulkhead and Bumblebee who were holding me down and I relaxed. The tension left my body and I completely relaxed.

"Wha- what happened?" I croaked, my throat felt as dry and as rough as sandpaper. Bulkhead called Ratchet over and the two released me from their iron grip. Ratchet put a hand to my forehead and I flinched away.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I've been put into a furnace alive and left there for forty-eight hours then pulled out and had all the bones in my body cracked and crushed and then my ENTIRE body ground up into dust and fused into glass."

"Feel any _different_?" Ratchet put a lot of stress on the last word. I shook my head and Ratchet nodded in understanding, "ok, right I'm going to sit you up but I don't want any screaming at all, got it? You scream, and it's straight back into stasis, understand?" I nodded, confused. Ratchet put an arm underneath me and helped me to sit up. Immediately, short sharp bursts of pain stabbed through me at least twenty/thirty-odd times and I couldn't help but gasp when it did. That was when I noticed something that had changed my life, and me, forever.

* * *

><p><strong>====== Optimus' POV ======<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I'd woken up long before Emerald had and, thankfully, there was no serious damage to her or myself. I sat up, wincing at the small gash in my shoulder where Emerald's gunshot had caught me, and looked over to where Emerald lay; she was pinned down by Bulkhead and Bumblebee and Ratchet was on hand, armed with a strong sedative. Emerald soon woke up from her induced stasis. Bulkhead and Bumblebee kept her arms pinned down by her sides but then moved away. I could see Ratchet talking with Emerald but she hadn't noticed the major difference about her… yet.<strong>

**After a while, Ratchet helped her sit up and THEN she noticed. I could see her preparing to scream when Ratchet clamped his hand over her mouth and glared at her. I knew that glare only too well; if you didn't do as you were told, there was definitely going to be a certain medic's wrench flying at your head. Emerald relaxed a bit and Ratchet hesitantly removed his hand, ready to clamp it over again should she try to scream; she didn't. I got up from where I was stationed, the next Medbay berth, and wandered over to them. All bravery that may have been worked up from before vanished; when Emerald saw me she cowered slightly.**

"**Emerald, it's ok." I said as I lay one hand on her shoulder, her emerald-green optics reaching my azure-blue ones and gazing deep into them. She smiled and Ratchet cleared the Medbay of any form of audience, including himself. "How do you feel?" I asked.**

"**I- uh – well, um-" she stuttered, I looked down into her optics again and this alone was enough to reassure her, "I'm not entirely sure." She said in a small voice; she was so vulnerable, her frame was probably smaller than Arcee's! Her paint job was fairly simple: mostly black but bright green in places, her small hands ending in claws like a Seeker's.**

"**Can I try and walk?" she asked quietly, I smiled at her again.**

"**Of course." I said, holding out my hands for her to hold. She cautiously held them and pulled herself up off the berth. Emerald wobbled a bit then seemingly regained her balance… then collapsed into my arms. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit, Emerald smiled too as she tried again. After a few minutes of practises, she was able to walk without assistance.**

"**Getting better." Emerald said as she sat back down on the berth.**

"**How does it feel? Being an Autobot now?" I asked gingerly, I didn't want to upset her or make her feel uncomfortable this early on. Emerald looked up at me and smiled sadly.**

"**Strange, heavier. Kinda miss being human though. But its way better!" Emerald replied, she sounded enthusiastic about her new form but I could immediately tell there was something she was hiding, "um, Optimus, can I ask you something?"**

"**Of course, anything"**

"**Well, I don't know how to word this…"**

"**Emerald," I said seriously, "if there is anything bothering you, you can tell me."**

"**What is Project: Emerald?" I sighed; I knew this part would come and I'd been dreading it ever since. **

"**Ok, this is gonna take a while to explain."**

* * *

><p>"<strong>Before the war with the Decepticons, an Oracle had foretold a part of our future:<strong>

_**A war shall come and leave devastation,  
><strong>__**A war that leaves most in hibernation.  
><strong>__**One soul must be kept at all others' cost,  
><strong>__**For she will compensate for all those lost.  
><strong>__**She shall rise with the aid of a Prime,  
><strong>__**Both shall rise and, in time,  
><strong>__**Save not our world but thousands others,  
><strong>__**Creating memorials for our brothers.  
><strong>__**Her spark a ray of light, behold,  
><strong>__**What others cannot have foretold.  
><strong>__**Her optics are of the brightest colours,  
><strong>__**Her name is Emerald, Fighter for our Brothers.**_

**The Decepticons, however, thought this was a prophecy of their doom and fought against it, therefore, creating the wars that ravaged Cybertron. But there was no Autobot femme named Emerald and, by the time I was Prime, it dawned on us; we had to _create_ a femme named Emerald. Hence, Project: Emerald.**

**So, after one of the Crusades I'd lead on Kaon, the Decepticon capital, I returned and we set about creating you. It took us thousands of years to finish you and, so the Decepticons couldn't easily manipulate you, we altered your form so it was compatible with a human's and we set a voice activation setting so it only responded to my voice or any one from Team Prime's voice. Then, when the time came, we were forced to leave Cybertron; you were on my ship in stasis where you remained until we'd crashed here on Earth three years ago. Unfortuantely, we managed to lose you when we crashed and we have been searching for you ever since."**

**"But, my friends... my family... my memories..."**

**"Your memories were illusions, you family never existed but your friends are real. You are an extremely powerful bot, Emerald, and you hold the means of ending this war and stopping the Decepticons once and for all."**

**"In the dream I had during stasis, I was on Cybertron before the war." She said hesitantly, "and there were twelve pillars of light: six red and six blue. There were six Decepticons in the red pillars and six Autobots in the blue. You, Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Ratchet were in the brightest blue pillars and a mech named 'Cliffjumper' was in a slightly faded one."**

**My optics widened at the mention of Cliffjumper and the Pillars of Light. "What about the Decepticons?"**

**"Megatron was there suspended in one,"**

**"Suspended? How do you mean?" I couldn't help interrupting.**

**"I dunno, you guys were all there _floating_ in the pillars. Anyway, the Decepticons were Megatron, Knock Out, Breakdown, Starscream, Airachnid and Soundwave. I don't know who half those Cons are but still. Then you descended from one of the pillars as did Megatron. Then Megatron was making snarky comments and me and you started walking away from him. Then you started talking about Project: Emerald but didn't go into any detail and you told me to wake up." Emerald finished. I was surprised that in her dream I didn't tell her anything about Project: Emerald.**

**"Strange... in your dream, I should've told you about Project: Emerald, it was in you core programming. I'll have Ratchet look over your databanks later, if that's ok?"**

**"Yeah, sure that's fine." Suddenly, my internal Comm. Link went off. I answered.**

**::Optimus this is Ratchet, we're just going out on patrol. All of us while you talk with Emerald::**

**::Ok, that is fine Ratchet as long as you do not engage the Decepticons should you encounter them, understood?::**

**::Understood Prime, we'll see you later:: Ratchet rang off and I returned my attention to Emerald... who was nowhere in sight.**

**"Emerald?" I called**

**"Yeah?" was the faint reply, "I'm in by the monitors!" I rose from the berth and joined her. There were several blips coming towards Ratchet, Bumblebee and Arcee, Bulkhead was by the monitors too.**

**"Boss, there's Cons comin' towards the others! Shall I activate the Ground Bridge and bridge ya there?"**

**"Yes Bulkhead, Emerald, do you think you are well enough to fight?" both Autobots looked at me dumbfounded.**

**"What? Are you sure? Not even _I'm _sure I should be going! What if I screw up?" **

**"You won't, you'll be there to help me find the others should one or two be lost. If you are in the line of fire, either your battle-programme will fire up and if it doesn't, then one of us will assist you. Ok?" Emerald nodded, "Bulkhead?" The green warrior flicked the switch and we stepped trough, once again, into the unknown.**

* * *

><p>====== Emerald's POV ======<p>

* * *

><p>No sooner than I'd stepped through, shots had been fired and Optimus pushed me to the side as a con hurtled towards us. Data ran across my vision.<p>

"Not _now!"_ I hissed at it, but several bits I read; it was my battle-programme onlining! Bumblebee was surrounded on the far side of the canyon and I somehow managed to get 'wheels on heels' and I headed straight for him, ducking and weaving between each individual fight.

_"EMERALD!" _Bumblebee yelled as three Cons dog-piled him.

"I'm coming Bee!" I yelled as I darted towards him, pulling two Samurai-style swords from their scabbards mounted on my back. Momentarily puzzled by this but then I remembered it was my battle-programming. I soon reached Bumblebee and two of the Cons jumped off the pile and attacked.

_Slash, dodge, slash, carve, uppercut, backhand_

I couldn't understand how I was able to move so fast and flawlessly, neither could the Decepticons. I sliced one of their heads off like a knife through butter; I clicked the two swords together at the hilts to form a double sword and rammed it through the second foe. The third saw the two deactivated carcasses and fled like a fox from a hunting hound. Fortunately, Bumblebee was unscathed... pretty much. Scrapes and dents covered him and he was bleeding Energon from a cut in his armour but other than that he was fine and amazed at my sensational fighting skills.

_"Where'd ya learn to do that?" _I shrugged just as Bee's optics widened, _"LOOK OUT!" _He yelled as he rolled out of the way. I whirled around but something big, grey, metal and heavy ploughed into me, ramming me against the canyon wall. Dust cleared from my optics and I found myself staring into two blazing crimson optics, full of fury and hatred.

I was face-to-face with Megatron.


	9. Emotions Partially Revealed

Megatron's crimson optics bored into my emerald-green ones and I squirmed uncomfortably. His huge hands had my arms pinned partially by the shoulders and he was stood on my legs to stop me from running away.

"So, Emerald," he finally said, purring it out like a cat, "we meet at last!" I rolled my optics at him. "What?"

"That is so _cliché!_ All the bad guys say that!" I couldn't help but point out. Arcee and Bumblebee nearly doubled up laughing; their battles had ceased but mine had only just begun.

"Uhhhh…" oh. WOW! I just confused the Decepticon leader AND made him speechless in a matter of seconds! I grabbed his arms, wormed my legs from under his feet, tucked them to my chest and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying away. I executed a Lara-Croft- style jump perfectly as Megatron landed with a hard _crash_ into the dirt.

"_And another one bites the dust!"_ Bumblebee sang as the rest of the Autobots, with the exception of Optimus, doubled up laughing. Megatron picked himself up from the floor, grumbling. He took one look at me, then at Optimus, then at me again and darted… but not for me. He shot Optimus in the abdomen, crippling him.

"OPTIMUS!" I yelled as he dropped to his knees; Megatron then hauled Optimus to his feet and pressed the point of his gun into Optimus' vulnerable neck cabling. I stared in horror as bright blue Energon trickled down his neck where the Energon fuel line had been punctured slightly. Optimus shifted in discomfort and tried to force Megatron away from him, failing dismally.

"Now, what shall it be, Emerald?" Megatron purred again, the words rolling from his glossa as slick as oil; it disgusted me to see him take pleasure at others' misfortune, "you can join the Decepticons and be given all the power and respect in the universe, OR, you can try to fight me, lose and watch Optimus Prime _die_"

"What if I stay with the Autobots? What do you think they can offer me?" I said, trying so hard to bide my time, looking for the terrible warlord's weakness.

"Well, if you stay with that drivelling mess of a team, hardly any Energon, no free reign over your actions, poor recharging conditions and, let's face it, a pretty scrap leader." I balled my fists in fury then I saw a space to make my move and unballed them again.

'_So, this was what Megatron was up to in the dream,'_ I thought unhappily, _'he wanted to get to me through hurting Optimus, but why? How could he possibly get to me through Optimus?'_ I was thoroughly baffled; it made no sense.

"Why are you hurting Optimus? Release him!" I said with as much authority and calmness as I could muster. Megatron merely smiled a hyena's smile and laughed menacingly.

"Not a chance, I've seen the way you look at him; Knock Out and Breakdown are not as useless as they may seem. They reported back to me the way Optimus protects you but he doesn't protect you like any other person in this universe. No, he protects you like _he loves you_." I bristled with fury as he dared to say that, but then I stopped. I hated how malicious, how treacherous Megatron could be and I didn't understand the meaning of his dark words; then I realised after a minute or two of silence. It was true, Optimus had given me his jacket; he caught me when I felt sick in the alley; he protected me from Knock Out and Breakdown twice; he kept me warm when we were cats; he lifted me up and allowed me to rest on him as cats; he helped me in my new form; he told me the truth and he'd protected me from the second I saw him. The list was endless and I realised that he'd protected me and looked after me more than just another life form in the universe. I glanced at Optimus but he cast his optics downwards, dimming them slightly,

"So glad to see you've seen reason." Megatron took my silence for my understanding and agreement. I closed my optics and desperately tried to remember all those archery and self-defence lessons I'd taken once. I vented slowly and shifted into a battle-ish position. I fought the raging envy and hate that was rising like bile inside me and replaced it with inner peace. I thought of all the good times I'd had in my life and they outweighed the bad. I felt a click on my back as my bow, quiver and arrows came into place (I had the ability to create whatever I wanted from the elements around me, all a part of my battle programming) and quick as a flash, loaded the bow and fired at Megatron.

"What the-?" Megatron grunted as the arrow hit home, his shoulder plating. I loaded again and again and I managed to fire one straight into his optic, wrenching a guttural scream from the warlord. He dropped Optimus from his vice-like grip and charged towards me, firing his cannon rapidly and without care what he hit. He was a metre or two away and he came on coming like a charging bull that'd seen red. Megatron ran right up to me and…. hit the canyon wall.

"Well, I think its safe to say that you just fell for the oldest trick in the book!" I laughed almost hysterically as I picked up Optimus from the floor. Megatron had run straight through a hologram version of me!

"What? How did you-" Optimus started but he slumped into my arms as his energy levels dived hell-wards.

"A hologram." I said simply as Megatron peeled himself from the rock, my arrow piercing straight through his already bleeding optic. He turned and fell flat on his face. Starscream and Soundwave swooped down from their safe haven in the skies and picked up their obnoxious, hell-bent leader.

"DECEPTICONS! RETREAT!" Starscream screeched, they didn't call him Starscream for nothing then! The vehicons took off and all Cons left the battlefield.

"Ratchet! Optimus needs urgent medical assistance!" I said as the other Autobots came running over.

"But he doesn't look too badly injured." Ratchet said, checking Optimus over.

"He might not look badly injured but he took several shots for me when he pushed me out of the way. Plus he might've lost a lot of Energon too!" I replied haughtily as I gently wrapped an arm around Optimus' broad shoulders. Ratchet called for a ground bridge and Bumblebee helped me through said bridge. Although Autobots don't breath, I could hear Optimus' ragged vents scoring marks in the silent atmosphere around us. All I wanted so longingly to do was hold onto him and never let him go; I hated the fact that Megatron was right, I did have strong feelings for Optimus and I felt like I could so willingly go right up to the Nemesis and kick Megatron in his nether regions for what he said and did out there today. But I knew I couldn't, I would only let Optimus down and that would kill me.

We laid Optimus onto the Medbay berth and I retreated somewhat reluctantly to my quarters to think over what Megatron had said, thinking about his offer and his words.

"_He loves you…" _


	10. Emotions Revealed And A Surprise

_**His burning red optics stared down at the green and black femme, boring holes into her armour. He smiled vilely and laughed hauntingly,**_

"_**He loves you, Emerald!" he taunted as he reached down to her and plucked her from the ground, his mocking tone piercing through the night, shaking me to my spark and sickening me horribly. It was me! I was horrified as I looked down upon the scene unfolding before me like a snake unwinds itself, readying for the moment when it strikes.**_

_**"And you love him!" The femme was so small, a sparkling, and she trembled in Megatron's grip, whimpering. I felt sick with hate and fear, I could feel palpable envy and hatred building up inside the warlord's spark; I couldn't explain it. I was already horrified but what came next, more so. Megatron brought her closer to his face and whispered ever so slightly,**_

"_**He loves you…." As he powered up his cannon and shot the small femme. Pain ripped through me like several daggers rips through its target with intense presicion.**_

_**And, once more, everything disintegrated…**_

* * *

><p>I jerked awake, putting a hand to my head.<p>

"Did that seriously just happen?" I asked myself

"I don't know, did it?" I jumped; it was Optimus stood in the doorway. He walked over to me and sat beside me on the berth.

"How long were you stood there for?"

"Long enough to see you wake up like that." I stared at him, puzzled, "you were muttering and stuff in your recharge. I came in to see what was going on." If I were human, I would've been cringing by now.

"I had a nightmare." I said, Optimus raised an optic ridge.

"Wanna tell me what it was about?" he said, putting his large hands over mine. I sighed.

"Ok. Well, I was looking down at a weird little scene and Megatron was stood taunting and heckling a sparkling femme. I then found out it was me when he said, _"He loves you Emerald!"_ and he reached down and picked me up. Then he said _"You love him!" _Then he whispered so very quietly, _"He loves you…" _then everything disintegrated."

I looked up from my lap to see Optimus kind of, _staring_ at me, frowning.

"Optimus? Are you ok?" I asked concerned. As if he was under a sort of spell his gaze snapped from me to something else.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just worried about you is all."

"Optimus? What did Megatron mean out there yesterday? During the battle?" Optimus shifted almost uncomfortably on the berth.

"I think he meant that you love me and I love you." He said quietly, knotting his fingers together. My spark nearly missed a beat. They way Optimus said "I love you" almost sounded like he meant it!

"Oh." I was itching to say "Do you?" to him but I figured it would be a bit awkward if I said it and it turned out he didn't. He then turned and looked at me directly in the optics. My circuitry metaphorically melted; his optics were so gorgeous!

"Emerald?" My spark began beating pretty damn fast.

"Yeah?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you have _beautiful _optics?" He scooted a little closer to me as I stared at him, almost with my mouth open.

"Uh... not before, no." I mumbled, at a loss for words. He was seriously implying my optics were beautiful? I was slightly startled as he put an arm around me and held me close.

"I have a question for you now Emerald: is it true that Megatron said you love me?" He said ever-so-softly into my audio. I closed my optics and buried my head in his armour.

"Yes" I found myself whispering back. It was true; I did love Optimus, he was just so perfect in every way I could think of. He was strong and noble and willingly to take shots or die for his troops. He was so commanding yet so kind and gentle at the same time. He would help the others and I in times of need or distress. And, above all, he was soooooo damn fit, even as a robot. He was like an angel that had descende from heaven, I could picture him with great feathery wings, soft to the touch but could reach flying speeds of that of a falcon, possibly even faster. His deep blue optics, bluer than the Circassian* Sea from Greek mythology but he was no myth; he was wonderfully real. I was so happy right now I felt like I was floating in space, walking on clouds, lying on the softest blanket in the universe. I could sense his spark rate increasing by the second as he leaned ever-closer to me.

"Thought so," he said as soft as snow, "because I love you too." and he wrapped me into a hug with his huge arms encasing me, protecting me from the evil things, and he bowed his head closer to mine.

_'He's not? He is! He's gonna do it!' _I thought dreamily and excitedly; I'd never kissed anyone in my entire life! I lifted my head up to meet his...

And he kissed me

* * *

><p>AN *pronounce as "Sir-casshian" It's from Ancient Greek mythology for those who don't know!


	11. A Secret That Cannot But Must Be Kept

I almost stumbled out of my quarters after my nice surprise. His lips were soft like a feather, set upon mine so lightly it was as if he was stroking them. It seemed nearly impossible that a mech so strong and demanding like Optimus could be so professional and amazing and gentle at kissing; after he had pulled away, he looked down into my glazed optics and gave one of those beautiful, sweet as sugar, dreamy smiles that no one (aside from me) had ever seen before; his lips were warm yet cold, I felt so privileged to have kissed Optimus Prime, it was unbelievable. My cheeks heated up incredibly afterwards that my cooling systems were working overtime to cool them down.

"_Where have you been? Arcee and Bulkhead and I have been waiting for you for sparring!"_ Bumblebee yelled from behind me.

"Uh?" I snapped out of my daydream hastily as Bee came up to me and pulled me by the arms towards the Training Room. I was dragged lazily behind the scout as I dreamed about what had just happened.

"_What's the matter? You look like you've just had the best thing in the universe happen to you?"_ I sighed knowing I could never tell them what had happened between Optimus and I. Bumblebee rolled his optics and we carried on to the Training Room.

* * *

><p>Arcee and Bulkhead were already sparring in front of Miko, Raf and Jack. The clangs and clashes of metal still sounded a bit strange and unsettling in my audios but Bumblebee and I were soon set up and sparring too.<p>

_Duck, dodge, high kick, uppercut, backhand, weave, dodge, jump, duck_

I was doing fine until I caught a flash of sanguine red and cobalt blue outside the Training Room. I paused as Bumblebee aimed a kick at me and I failed to block it. I was sent sprawling to the floor; Arcee and Bulkhead came running over as Bumblebee sat me up apologising again and again.

"_Oh my Primus! I'm so sorry Emerald! Are you ok?" _Bumblebee said worriedly as I rubbed my head. Miko, Raf and Jack came over too, concern painted on their faces.

"Are you ok Emerald?" Arcee said as I wobbled on my feet dangerously. Bumblebee darted to my side to steady me.

"Yeah, I think. I'm not sure!" I said as Bumblebee pushed back upright. Arcee raised an optic ridge.

"I'll go and get Ratchet to check you out, I don't think you're ok at all." Said Bulkhead as he wandered out the room.

"Emerald, you were late by at least 15 minutes for training, you failed to block Bumblebee's easy kick and now you're not sure whether you're fine or not?" Jack said, somewhat bemused.

"Ok Emerald, what happened?" asked Arcee

"Nothing happened!" I replied a little bit too hastily.

"Liar!" chirped Miko, dancing around my feet. I sighed again, massaging my forehead.

"_Spill the beans, Emerald. We'll find out sooner or later!"_ Bumblebee buzzed.

"I just slept in late. Ok? Happy now?" I huffed.

"Liar!" Chirped Miko again. I almost growled at her when she didn't stop dancing around my feet.

"Optimus was checking up on me!" I snapped angrily and annoyed. Bumblebee wolf-whistled-ish at me; I glared at him.

"He was checking up on you! O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-h-h-h-h-h-h-h!" Miko said. This time I did growl at her, they were getting too close to uncovering the truth!

"Well, he took an awful long time "checking" on you, didn't he? It doesn't take him ten minutes to check on someone!" Arcee said.

"I know what was going on!" Miko yelled excitedly. I stared at her in exasperation and desperation, begging her not to say what I think she was going to say.

"What?" everyone else chorused, dying to know what Miko's ridiculous idea was.

"Optimus kissed Emerald!" She exclaimed ecstatically. My spark nearly stopped. The others' faces were unreadable as they shifted their glances in my direction, my thermal plating heating up immensely. I quickly averted my optics from them to the floor and shifted guiltily from one foot to the other.

"No way Miko! That's sooooooooo not gonna happen! Optimus isn't the kinda bot that'd do that!" Jack and Raf exclaimed simultaneously, "Right?"

"_Yeah, Optimus hasn't been one to show his emotions like that, or in fact, at all. He's usually exceedingly stoic about everything!"_ Bumblebee put in. Raf then translated for the others.

"She's right," I whispered ever so quietly. Everyone then stared at me like I'd lost my processor during our battle with the 'Cons.

"What did you say?"

"I said she's right." I said shyly. My internal cooling systems were seriously working overtime. There was a huge _CRASH! _From behind me; Ratchet and Bulkhead had come in just as Miko had suggested her idea and I'd agreed. Ratchet had dropped to the floor, his CPU overheating again. The others, however, just stared at me with their mouths wide open.

"NO WAY!" exclaimed Miko and Arcee simultaneously. They looked somewhat amazed and Arcee looked jealous. I rolled my optics at the two of them, willing this to end already.

"_Optimus kissed you?" _Bumblebee cried, absolutely dumbfounded. If I were human, I'd be blushing like hell.

"Optimus and Emerald, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" sang Miko as she resumed dancing around me like a chimp. I was getting seriously annoyed at them and was about to storm away when Ratchet woke up.

"If I heard what I think I heard, it better not be true!" he hissed at me warningly. Miko continued to sing when I snapped at her to shut the hell up; she closed her mouth pretty sharpish. I sighed.

"Look, I wasn't expecting it. Optimus kissed me. Big deal!" I said, thoroughly annoyed. Ratchet looked like he could throw something at me.

"Emerald, I hope you understand this, but the last person Optimus ever fell in love with was targeted by Megatron for millenia and, eventually, she was brutally murdered." Ratchet said in a low, almost afraid, voice, "Elita One was kidnapped one night, mutilated and suspended from a spire of Kaon's tallest building. She wasn't found until three weeks after it had happened when one of our scouts reported it." A stunned silence poisoned the air around us and even Miko was afraid to speak her mind for once. I stared at the old medic with wide emerald optics, unbelieving of what I'd just heard.

"That really happened?" I said in a small voice; not only was I terrified for Optimus and the others, for once, I was afraid for myself. Ratchet nodded grimly.

"That is why Optimus keeps to himself all the time, that is the main reason he hardly ever shows his emotions for anyone." Ratchet explained. I couldn't believe it at all; this was why Optimus' emotions were constantly kept locked up? I was speechless.

_"Are you ok, Emerald?" _Bumblebee asked me seeing my face. The room was spinning as I tried to get my head around what Ratchet had just told us.

"Now I'm really not sure." I replied faintly, "But you guys cannot repeat CANNOT let Optimus have any idea what I've admitted to, if you did I'd _never_ forgive you. Got it?" They all nodded and, on that rather grisly bombshell, training was dismissed.


	12. My Second Battle Ends With Snow

We all left the Training Room quietly and no one spoke until we reached the controls where Optimus was stood waiting, his arms crossed and his foot tapping. He didn't look all that pleased with us. When we arrived, everyone looked from me to Optimus to me and to Optimus again before snapping out of it. I rolled my optics again at the non-believers and sighed. We all took up our positions for monitor duty just as the Decepticons alert sounded. Bumblebee and I jumped at the sudden sound and Optimus and Ratchet swapped places with us.

"Decepticons are hauling Energon again Prime! In Europe! Makes a change…." Ratchet reported from the monitors as he shut off the alarms. Optimus nodded in understanding.

"Ratchet, fire up the ground bridge. Autobots transform and roll out!" Optimus then turned to me, "are you coming with us? It will probably involve a lot of driving."

"I'll be fine Prime, I sorted out my vehicle mode _ages_ ago!" I said as the others transformed and sped through the bridge. I then concentrated on my alt mode and found myself shifting; I had practised transforming every night for as many times as I could before I was forced to recharge and today it was easy. I finished transforming, my vehicle mode was an Ascari A10, black body with two emerald green racing stripes running down the left side. It went well with my robot mode and Optimus, Ratchet and the children whistled at my choice approvingly.

"Nice job Emerald!" Optimus praised as he transformed next to me. I started my engine and took a minute to allow the roar of it to echo around the base. Optimus then started his engine too and both engines roared around the base, the children covering their ears at the ferocity of it. We raced through the ground bridge and were greeted with a horribly familiar sight; buildings were ablaze, the ground was ripped up and several Vehicons lay dead in viscous pools of their own Energon. As we transformed, I couldn't help but gag at it; I still felt unnerved whenever I saw a battleground like this.

We ran through the burning buildings until we found Bumblebee, Arcee and Bulkhead waiting for us outside an old mine entrance. No sooner had we arrived, we set off down the ominous caverns, lights piercing through the inky-darkness. The headlights were casting snake-like shadows all around me and I shuddered when one slithered over my foot.

"_You ok?"_ Bumblebee buzzed quietly beside me.

"Not really, I'm slightly claustrophobic and I really, _really_ don't like the dark like this. It unnerves me." I replied shakily, quickly grasping Bee's shoulder to stop me from falling over; Bumblebee called Optimus back over and quickly explained the situation. Optimus looked at me increasingly worried and asked if he should send for a bridge, I shook my head.

"Are you absolutely sure? We're about to enter a Decepticon Energon mine and if this sets us back, we won't be able to stop the Decepticons." Optimus said quietly.

"I'm fine." I answered firmly, I didn't want to let the team down and I most certainly wasn't going to let my partial claustrophobia get in the way. Optimus nodded and we continued into the darkness, the shadows swallowing me familiarly.

* * *

><p>As we drew closer to the Decepticons' hideout, a blue glow illuminated the mine and drilling filled my audio receptors. The others prepped their guns as I waited for my swords to form, once more, on my back. A satisfying <em>click<em> told me I was set to go and I nodded towards Optimus who took point. He nodded back; suddenly, a whole army of Vehicons ambushed us. We'd been expected! The battle commenced with a sickening crash as Bumblebee shot down two Vehicons. I drew my swords and clicked them together to form the dreaded double sword. As soon as the Cons saw it, they sprinted towards me; by the time Optimus and the others had downed fifteen, I'd downed twenty and the Con count was steadily rising.

I ran straight into the heart of the mass of Cons were Optimus was being dragged under by at least twelve.

"I'm coming Optimus!" I said under my heavy vents as I darted in and out of the raging body of fighters. I downed several on my way to Prime and slashed at the ones who had dog-piled him. Optimus burst through the pile and finished off the stragglers. Then a blue-green light opened up from behind me; it was a ground bridge!

"Emerald! Is that one of ours?" Optimus said, confused.

"I don't know! It could be either sides'!" I replied, equally confused. Suddenly, Megatron swooped down and clashed with Optimus, knocking him unconscious. I was left on my own with swords at the ready.

"Oh dear oh dear oh dear, Emerald," Megatron tutted as he flung Optimus' limp form aside and stalked towards me. I instinctively took several steps back… closer to the ground bridge, "now look what your silly emotions for Prime have done. By rescuing him from the Vehicons, you endangered yourself! Oh what a silly thing to do!" Megatron said as he grabbed my shoulders, swung me around and threw me into the swirling vortex of the ground bridge...

* * *

><p>When I awoke, I was greeted by a searing pain through my right arm and a biting cold atmosphere that shocked me. According to my internal chronometer I'd been unconscious for three hours! But that wasn't the worst part of my predicament; I was stranded in the cold depths of Antartica with no way of getting out! I picked myself up from the snow-laden ground and rubbed my arms for warmth... not that I'd get much in my current condition.<p>

"The battle must be over by a long way by now," I said gloomily, "and I don't even know if Optimus is ok!" I huffed and shivered violently. I thought back to Optimus' and Arcee's incident here; it was caused by a malfunction caused by a scraplet infestation. They kept moving to stay alive.

"So that is what I must do then!" I said fairly happy, "I've gotta find shelter and find it fast unless I wanna become a robot-icicle!" and I set off in my vast and seeminly pointless search for shelter in the frozen wasteland that was Antarctica.

* * *

><p><strong>====== Optimus' POV ======<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>We'd returned to base empty handed and empty sparked; we all felt completely empty and hollow inside but no one more than me. I'd lost Emerald and I'd lost her because I allowed my love for her to cloud my judgement. I felt ever so guilty but the worst thing was, we couldn't track her. We'd no idea where the Decepticon ground bridge led to and we'd no idea whether she was still alive. Ratchet came over to the Medbay where I was sat, recovering.<strong>

**"Optimus, whatever you may say from now on, it wasn't your fault." Ratchet said as he sat beside me, the other Autobots were busy ferrying their charges home for the night, "If it was anyone's fault it was mine, I should've known it was an ambush, they were hauling Energon around clear as day! I should be the one to blame here Prime, not you." I sighed knowingly and got to my feet.**

**"Well, we're not gonna find her by sitting here are we? Lets go see if we can track her on the monitors." I said as Ratchet rose from the berth too and joined me by the monitors. Ratchet began using a classic 'trial and error' tactic, one I have seen from my many years spent with my now deceased Praxian tactician, Prowl.  
>A wave of bitterness rose inside me as I remembered everything that had happened at least four hours ago before Emerald went missing and I wanted so much to open a ground bridge to Megatron's doorstep and kill him brutally like he did Elita One. But I knew I couldn't; if I did, I'd be no better than the warlord himself.<strong>

**"Prime! I've got an extremely faint spark signature!" Ratchet yelled from the controls, I joined him as fast as I could.**

**"Where? Where is it?" Ratchet grimaced when the location became clearer, I did too.**

**"It's in Antarctica." I almost groaned; why, of all places, did Megatron throw Emerald there? "You're not seriously going there are you? You'll freeze" Ratchet tried to talk me out of it.**

**"Ratchet, I have to go. Emerald is there because of me, if I'd been more aware of Megatron, she wouldn't be there at all! I could've saved her from geting herself thrown there!" I replied somewhat angrily, "Now if you'll please fire up the ground bridge!" Ratchet shook his head vigorously.**

**"At least wait until one of the others comes back; you cannot go by yourself!" Ratchet argued; I sighed and raised my optics to the heavens.**

**"Very well, who is the most likely to come back first?" I asked, growing increasingly impatient with each second that passed. Ratchet pondered this for a moment.**

**"Bumblebee; Rafael lives only half a mile, maybe less, away. He should be back around... now." Ratchet predicted as we were greeted by the roar of a certain muscle car's engine. Bumblebee transformed and we told him of Ratchet's find.**

_**"Sure, I'll go with ya Prime!" **_**The young scout said; I had no doubts that Bumblebee would eventually make a fine soldier but I was concerned with the amount of enthusiasm he held within himself, he would always volunteer for the hardest or most demanding of tasks. He even took on Megatron's subconscious and Skyquake by himself! I was proud of Bumblebee's bravery and constant vigilence against the wars that raged and surrounded him.**

**"Thank you Bumblebee, Ratchet, if you would." Ratchet nodded and opened the ground bridge.**

**"Remember, you only have until the alarms go off; when its in the blue zone, you must leave." I almost rolled my optics while Bumblebee nodded; I'd had those alarms when Arcee and I travelled to Antarctica during Ratchet, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and the children's scraplet infestation that nearly cost us our lives. Bumblebee and I then ventured forth, back into the freezing cold wasteland that was Antarctica.**

* * *

><p>====== Emerald's POV ======<p>

* * *

><p>I could feel each and every one of my systems shutting down from the intense cold; my vision became all blurry and watery and each step I took was like climbing a mountain that never ended. Every piece of metal armour that covered me was iced over from the raging winds that whipped around me, stabbing my armour and tantalising my body into an endless slumber. I wished that Optimus would come for me and I wished he'd do it soon, I had no idea how much longer I could hold out against Mother Nature's elements. I could almost feel my Energon literally running cold in my veins and I shivered violently.<p>

"Please Optimus," my voice came out as no more than a cracked whisper, my vocaliser almost frozen, "please find me." I collapsed onto my knees and clutched my broken right arm. I heard a warping noise in the distance and my hopes raised a smidgen; I knew it was hopeless, even if they could pinpoint my exact location, I'd be offline before they could reach me.

I'd often dreamed of Megatron teasing me, saying that I'd be "stranded in the cold, with eyes like emeralds" and that "no one could save me, not even my heart's desire". I was beginning to agree as I slumped onto my side and let out s soft sigh, blowing the crystalline snow around me. I really was stranded in the cold with eyes like emeralds and I resented the fact that Megatron had been right.. yet again.

My optics had closed and I could already feel the bulid-up of ice around them. Most of my main systems were offline but my internal chronometer was still functioning; I'd been out in the snow for more than four-and-a-half hours.

"I hate the snow now" I croaked as the last of my main systems shut down, leaving me paralysed in the land of snow and ice. Suddenly I felt strong arms underneath me, lifting me up. I could no longer open my optics and I wished I could see, even just a small amount, of who had come for me. I began to think it was Optimus but I thought no more when a blanket of white and black engulfed me, devoured me and I slipped into a calm, dreamless sleep.


	13. My Rescue And The Medbay Again

_**SYSTEM REBOOT STATUS: FUNCTIONING**_

**_STATUS: ONLINE_**

_**SECONDARY WEAPONS CHECK: WEAPONS OFFLINE**_

_**PRIMARY WEAPONS CHECK: WEAPONS OFFLINE**_

_**BASIC WEAPONS CHECK: WEAPONS OFFLINE**_

_**SUM. WEAPONS CHECK: ALL WEAPONS DIASBLED AND OFFLINE**_

_**BATTLE COMPUTER: OFFLINE**_

_**FUEL RESERVES: SHUTTING DOWN**_

_**PROCESSOR STATUS: ONLINE**_

_**INTERNAL CHRONOMETER: ONLINE**_

* * *

><p>When I awoke, I was severely disappointed to see that I was still in Antarctica; I'd hallucinated the whole rescue scene. I hissed and growled at the layers of snow that covered me and I tried to move my arms and legs to warm myself up a bit.<p>

_**CRACK!**_

"OW!" I practically screamed; my right arm was completely broken and no Energon could get to it. The intense cold had frozen my arm entirely and I could no longer move it. Then I realised properly that I hadn't been rescued; no one had come to get me, I'd hallucinated it all. I hauled myself up from the ground and tried to move towards a makeshift glacial shelter that had been eroded, over time, by the chilling winds that constantly reshaped the landscape around me. I staggered into the shelter and slid down against the ice walls, wishing for my terrible ordeal to come to an end.

"Please, Optimus, save me." I whispered to the landscape. In the distance, I could see the swirling blue-green vortex of a ground bridge… but was it friends or foes? I tried to cover my hiding place with some of the snow but failed; I unsteadily got to my feet and ran for it, not caring if they followed me only caring that I got away unharmed. But as soon as I started running they followed, swiftly closing the gap. A green visor slid down of my optics, protecting them from the harsh wind-chill and the white glare of the sun-lit snow as I ran. My air intakes were almost packing up with snow and I stopped abruptly to clear them, wincing at the iciness of my own hands. Then I carried on, battling my way through the ice and snow, joints seizing up but I didn't care. My only goal was to get as far away from those bots as possible. Then a though occurred to me, what if they were hallucinations like before?

My les gave way beneath me as I fell through a hole in the ice. I screamed as I went under, unimaginably cold water rushing upwards to meet me. I felt someone grab my hand as I fell, stopping me short of going under. Fortunately it wasn't my bad arm, no, that lay dangling useless by my side as the bot holding my hand hauled me up from the freezing depths of the glacier. As soon as I was out, I collapsed into the mech's arms, my whole body shutting down yet again.

"Ratchet.. Need – bridge." Was all I could hear as all my systems shut down.

'_I recognise that voice'_ I thought drowsily as everything dimmed around me, _'that's….'_

Antarctica, and the mech holding me, fell apart as the slagging darkness and dream-state took me prisoner yet again, torturing me psychically until I snapped.

* * *

><p><strong>====== TWO HOURS LATER ======<strong>

* * *

><p><em>"Will she be ok?"<em>

_"I don't know, do I look like Perceptor?"_

_"Ok, ok, sorry. But is she stable?"_

_"Yes, for now. She was submitted to incredibly freezing temperatures. Antarctica was just entering its winter months. Emerald is extremely luck she is still alive."_

_"She is a walking miracle, but what I want to know is how she managed to stay online during her ordeal by Antarctica."_

_"That I cannot answer, you'd have to ask her yourself_ _Optimus."_

"Optimus?" I whispered, I knew those two voices: the first voice was Optimus' baritone voice and the second was Ratchet's caringly gruff voice. My optics were swimming as I opened them, I could see the bleary form of Optimus hovering loyally by my side, Ratchet was further away by a monitor. My optics eventually cleared of the fluids and the room jumped into focus.

"Hey." Optimus said, smiling one of those fantastic smiles at me.

"Hey, what'd I miss?" I replied hoarsly, all that screaming I'd done had ran my vocalisers raw.

"Nothing much, Decpeticons left in disarray after we kinda... went a bit... mad." Prime admitted sheepishly. I rolled my optics at him.

"Honetsly, Optimus, how have you managed without me?" I joked.

"We didn't. Ratchet threw a couple of thousand wrenches at us to stop us from tearing the base up from the roots."

"By 'we' you mean 'you', don't you?" Laughed both of us, thankful the other Autobots, with the exception of Bumblebee, were at their guardians' houses for the night shift. Apparently, Optimus never acted like this around them for reasons unknown to me.

"Well, I see you're finally awake." Ratchet grouched from the doorway. He walked in and ran yet more scans on me, "It's strange, you are. You should've frozen to death out there what with the total amount of time you spent out there. But you didn't."

"Oh so you'd rather me still out there, frozen?" I asked, unimpressed. I'd just braved Antarctica for at least five or six hours, longer than Optimus and Arcee had braved, and here was Ratchet saying that he'd rather me dead?

"No! I'm just saying that it's strange that your systems lasted so long without malfunctioning." Ratchet amended himself hastily.

"Oh honestly, you two!" Optimus cut in to avoid any fight, "just stop it already!" Ratchet and I both turned to look at him surprised, he'd never spoken like that before!

"Sorry Prime." We both apologised.

"Ratchet, can I sit up?" Ratchet nodded as he and Optimus sat me up. I noticed my right arm was encased in a metal cast to stop it from breaking any further. I lifted it up and moved it around gently to work the stiffness from it; then I noticed a lot of wires were attached to me. I absentmindly plucked at the wires and pried one off. Optimus' hand caught the wire and reattatched it to me. I scowled at him and picked it off again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Emerald. That's one of the wires that's helping to keep you stable." Optimus warned, I looked up at him like a sparkling that had been caught with their hand in the goodie jar.

"Why not?"

"Because look where it goes from your chest." Optimus traced the route of the wire and my optics followed him. It ran from my chest to Optimus'!

"Wha-?"

"We didn't have the correct equipment to fix a certain part in your chest, so Ratchet had to alter the design so it would still work. The wires that link up to that part link up to mine because mine's the strongest and it can hep yours get back on track." Optimus explained, seeing the look on my face he added, "that ok?"

"Yeah that's fine. Did it snap or something from the cold?" Ratchet nodded. Optimus' face began to blurr and I fell back onto the berth, absolutely exhausted from my ordeal, my green visor still down.

This time, I allowed the dream-state of my mind to sweep me away and I settled down, and dreamed.

* * *

><p>AN:

If anyone is slightly confused as to why Emerald suddenly knows all the Cybertronian stuff, her "upgrade" from human to Autobot unlocked the hidden knowledge of Cybertron and its inhabitants so that's how she knows.

Also, if anyone is on DeviantArt and would like create a picture of Emerald, feel free to but I would appreciate it if you would PM me first and I will give you details.


	14. Reality Glitched and Nightmares Blossom

It was a while before I woke up again; turns out I'd been moved from the Medbay berth to my own berth in my quarters. When I did eventually wake up, the Autobots were nowhere on the base. I'd been ditched! I wandered around for best part of an hour and a half but there was still no sign of them: I looked in the artillery, the Energon supplies, the Medbay, monitor room, training room, everyone's quarters, outside twice and the supplies closet and they were nowhere to be found. I was beginning to get really worried that something had happened to them. I sighed, even though I knew I couldn't breath, and went around the base once more. This time though I checked their quarters relatively thoroughly, obviously not wanting to disturb their personal belongings. Primus knows what they kept in their rooms!

"Right, let's start off with Bumblebee's." I said to no one. I heard the door to Bee's quarters swish open as I walked up to it and I stepped in cautiously.

"Bee? You in here?" I said, still not getting any response. Then the lights failed, of all timings. I cursed and switched on my headlights, bright light spilled into the room and I remembered that there'd been a storm in the night and a whole heap of lighting had hit the base. I knew lighting could cause pretty bad damage to an Autobot, but it was highly unlikely that it could've vaporised them!

'_Maybe one of the light energy cells is damaged, I'd better go and fix it on my way to Bulkhead's room.'_ I thought as I turned to leave Bumblebee's room.

_[Hiccup!]_

I stopped dead in my tracks. Did I just hear a hiccup?

_[Hiccup! Giggle!]_

"Oh great, the Autobots are missing and I'm hearing voices!" I said sarcastically.

_[Warble, whistle]_

"Bee?" I whispered into the darkness, fearing the worst.

_[Huh?]_

"Bumblebee? Is that you?" I said as I walked closer to the berth, the tarp all ruffled with a large lump in the middle. The lump moved as I tugged at the tarp. "Ah!" I stumbled backwards in surprise as two sky-blue optics poked out from underneath the tarp, followed by a bright yellow body. It was Bumblebee!

"Bee? What happened to you?" I asked, knowing he couldn't understand me. He giggled and rolled onto his aft, smiling up at me although I couldn't quite see his mouth. I sat down next to him and he crawled into my lap; he wasn't overly small but he wasn't the biggest youngling I'd ever seen. Younglings were the next stage up from a Sparkling, the child from the baby in human terms. His doorwings were completely in proportion with his body and he was so damn cute! I picked him up and he wrapped his little arms around me lovingly, I couldn't help but laugh softly at him.

"Emerald?" someone called from further away in the base, "Emerald? Where are you?" I wandered out of Bumblebee's room and into the corridor, still carrying Bumblebee. I saw Ratchet at the other end of the corridor.

"Ratchet!" he turned sharply to face me and relief was quickly replaced with surprise and shock when he saw the youngling snuggling into my neck, "It's ok! Its just Bumblebee!" I called, slightly startling Bumblebee, I stroked his head and he calmed instantly.

_[Warble, coo]_

"What happened to him?" I shrugged.

"Dunno, I found him like this but more importantly, where were you? I've been looking for you guys for at least two hours!" I scolded him.

"Sorry, I was out dropping Rafael home, he was late because two of his brothers were caught in a motorcycle crash so his mother wasn't home." Ratchet apologised sheepishly. The medic reached out and stroked Bumblebee's spinal struts, making him squeak happily.

"Do you wanna hold him?" I asked, Ratchet shrugged. I offered Bumblebee to him and Bee immediately latched onto Ratchet's neck and snuggled into him.

"We'd better go and find the others; if they're anything like this, then we'd better find them and fast." I said after Ratchet had finished repositioning Bumblebee.

"Ok, I didn't pick up their spark signatures though."

"Neither did I, so I went around to each of their quarters." I replied, a tinge of worry in my voice that not even I could hide. We set off towards Bulkhead's quarters; the lights still down and out for Primus knows how long.

* * *

><p>We'd been around to Bulkhead and Arcee's quarters and found both of them younglings like Bumblebee before they all got hungry; Bulkhead was definitely the biggest, taller than Bumblebee. Arcee was slightly taller than Bumblebee for reasons not even Ratchet could explain but blatantly smaller than Bulkhead. We had found Bulkhead in the Energon supply room where he was covered in Energon from a leaking cube, he was sticky and slightly smelly but a quick power-wash sorted that. Arcee, however, we found stuck on a ridiculously high shelf in the Artillery, again Primus knows why she was there. Ratchet had given me the mechs and climbed up to grab her, only to slip and fall on his aft. Bulkhead, Bumblebee and I all began laughing but cried out in warning as Arcee also slipped and fell, thankfully onto Ratchet's chassis. We breathed a sigh of relief as she started laughing too, seemingly unharmed.<p>

"We need to get them back to Medbay, Arcee could be hurt from her fall and Bulkhead needs a _really_ good clean." Ratchet almost begged after I had insisted on looking for Optimus; I rolled my optics and agreed. We trudged back to the Medbay, dumping Bumblebee and Arcee on the berth, Ratchet then took Bulkhead into the wash racks and cleaned him. Bulkhead squeaked and giggled ecstatically, Ratchet holding him at arm's length as he wriggled around under the suds. I was left with the responsibility of looking after the non-injured Arcee and the almost-hyper Bumblebee.

After at least 15 minutes, Ratchet and Bulkhead came back out of the wash racks and found me dog piled under the younglings; Bulkhead immediately wanted in on the fun and Ratchet dropped him on the pile. I groaned in protest but the younglings shrieked in excitement as they bounced around on me. Ratchet stood back and we tried to discuss what to do: we couldn't leave the three younglings by themselves nor could we leave Optimus alone if he was a youngling too. Ratchet managed to pry Arcee and Bulkhead off of me, Bumblebee had already slid off me a while ago, and we resumed our conversation as they slept.

"We can't leave Optimus alone!"

"But we can't leave them here by themselves!"

"So just let me go and find Optimus by myself then!" Ratchet opened his mouth to argue again but closed it quickly as he considered my offer.

"Fine! But when you find him, you come straight back. Got it?" I nodded and left Ratchet at the mercy of the younglings.

* * *

><p>I soon arrived outside Optimus' quarters and the doors swished open, darkness swooping forwards to greet me. I turned on my headlights to full power and stepped into the room. I'd never been inside Optimus' quarters before; it was amazingly neat, unlike ours. There was nothing on the floor that obstructed it, there was nothing on the desk that obstructed it but the only untidiness was the berth: the tarp was a complete mess, also with a large lump underneath it.<p>

"Optimus?"

"Em?" a little voice squeaked in the darkness. I could immediately tell it was Optimus; there was no bot in the universe that had the awesome sanguine red and cobalt blue paint job. But the only problem that remained was locating him.

"Optimus? Where are you?" I asked gently, hoping not to frighten him.

"Em? Ber."

"Are you under the berth?"

"Ya!" I crouched down and peered under the berth, there, tucked under a pile of data-pads, was Optimus. His beautiful little optics stared back at me as I shone my headlights under the berth.

"Heya!" I cooed at him, coaxing him out more with my voice, "are you gonna come out?"

"EM!" the next thing I knew, a little bundle of joy came hurtling into me, knocking my on my aft with a soft _thump_. Optimus was clutching me like he'd lost me for seemingly ever.

"Hey, Optimus." I murmured into his audio.

:: Emerald to Ratchet, come in::

:: This is Ratchet, I hear you::

:: I've got Optimus and he's a youngling too::

:: Right, bring him straight back here:: Ratchet rang off and I hauled myself up from the ground, Optimus walking alongside me holding my hand. He was so sweet it was unbelievable! He smiled at me and my spark melted. Even though he was now a youngling, temporarily or not, he could still give one of those astounding smiles.

We took our time arriving to Ratchet; I wanted to spend as much time with Optimus by ourselves as I could but Optimus couldn't quite walk properly though, his feet kept on crossing paths, literally, and he'd fall over a bit. Then I'd pull him back up and he'd smile up at me greatly and I grinned back. I began to wish that he wasn't so small and young, then I could hold him as hard and as close as I wanted so much to do.

"Em?" Optimus' piping voice echoed around the empty corridors.

"Yes, Optimus?"

"Where we goin?"

"We're going to see Ratchet, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee."

"Who they?" this was a major blow: Optimus didn't remember who Team Prime was? I couldn't believe it!

"Ratchet is your oldest friend and your medic; Bumblebee is your fantastic scout; Bulkhead is an ex-Wrecker, that's a warrior; and Arcee is a femme who is very fast and agile plus she has helped save your life so many times." I explained as accurately and as briefly as I could without confusing him.

"Are they good friends?"

"Yes, they are wonderful friends. Plus, right now, they're younglings like you so you can play with them." I said, "Oh! By the way, Bumblebee can't talk properly."

"How you mean?"

"He can't talk with words, he talks with buzzes, clicks, whistles and beeps. But don't worry, you can understand him."

"Oops!" Optimus said as he stumbled over _my _feet this time. As I helped him up, he looked up at me... almost afraid, "sorry Em!" I looked at him confused as he almost yelled his apology.

"Hey, Optimus, it's ok! I'm not mad at you!" I said as I kneeled down to him at optic level and placed my hands on his shoulders. He looked up at me as soft blue tears streaked down his cheeks.

"Not?"

"No! I could never be mad at you!" I exclaimed, wiping the tears away with my fingers, "Don't cry you!" I embraced him in a warm hug, I could feel his sniffles on my armour as he gradually ceased crying.

"Em?" Optimus said as I released him

"Yeah?"

"Can we go see other Autobots now?"

"Yeah, come on." I held his hand again and we continued down towards the Medbay. Suddenly, I could no longer feel Optimus' hand in mine,

"Optimus?" I yelled in panic, there was no response. My worry grew to an incredible amount as I looked around for my little mech. "OPTIMUS!" The ground in front of me opened up into a bottomless pit and I saw several grotesque forms of hellish monsters writhing around at the top of it. And, in amongst them all, was Optimus.

"NO!" I screamed at them as one made a move to cut off Optimus' head. I dashed towards them as they came towards me at the same time. Three were spitting poison at me and the rest spat acid. Few hit me but by the time I'd got even within a metre to Optimus, I'd had six holes burnt in my armour and the downpour kept on coming. One of the acid spits hit me in the face and I screamed in agony, the whole world collapsed around me again and the last thing I saw was Optimus' head being severed, a little ghost of a smile lingering on his lips.


	15. The Aftermath Of The Nightmare

I screamed myself awake that night, waking up everyone else in the base. My screams echoed around said base like a bullet off armour. I sat bolt upright on my berth, venting extremely heavily. The doors to my quarters slammed open and I fled underneath my berth like a rabbit being chased by a hound. I was so scared after what I'd witnessed in that dream from hell I'd managed to pull down my visor and I was hiding like a sparkling underneath the berth.

"Emerald?" Optimus' voice rang out in the darkness, laced with panic and worry. Powerful white light filled the room, casting horrible shadows across it. I could just about make out Optimus and Ratchet's legs from my awkward position under the berth.

"Under the berth, Prime." Ratchet said softly, guiding the leader to my berth.

"Emerald? Are you ok?"

"No." I whimpered back from the depths of the under side of the berth. I pulled my legs closer to my chest and huddled back against the wall. After a while, Optimus knelt down and peered under the berth. I instantly pulled back when he reached out to pull me out. He frowned and ducked back up to Ratchet.

"Ratchet, I think you might need to go and see about the other Autobots. Keep them in their quarters while I deal with this." Optimus said quietly. I heard the doors open and close as Ratchet left. Optimus then knelt back down to me and crawled under the berth too; the berth was quite a raised one for storage but I didn't have anything to store underneath it so Optimus was able to crawl under too.

"Emerald, what happened?" Optimus said gently when he saw the tears running down my face. I buried my head in my arms and sobbed loudly. I couldn't bear to see Optimus' face after what I'd seen in that dream. He shuffled closer to me and I pressed myself back to the wall, still absolutely scared out of my processor.

"N-night-m-mare" I whispered, afraid the hellish beasts from the dream would jump out and kill me and kill Optimus like they did in the dream; the image of Optimus' little severed head was still fresh in my head and I couldn't look at him without seeing the severed head instead of his proper head. It reminded me of the _Saw_ films I'd watched last year with my friends for Halloween; full of gore and blood and guts and terrified me out of my head. I couldn't sleep at all for three weeks after that ordeal and that was the reason my paranoia sometimes got out of control; I would freak out at any shadow that reminded me of _Saw_ , any tool and any, most certainly, any dream. I thought I'd controlled it ages ago, but it was beginning to look like it was coming back to haunt me until the end.

"Do you want to tell me what it was about?" Optimus brought himself closer and I lifted my head from my arms. Upon seeing him under the berth, my spirits lifted slightly; he was almost doubled over, his legs still poked out and his head was pressed against the underside of the berth. I huddled still close to my legs but I relaxed from against the wall so I was closer to the Prime.

"I was in my quarters and I got up and I went looking for you all. But none of you were there. Then I remembered lightning had struck the base and the lights went out. I turned on my headlights and I looked in Bumblebee's quarters having looked everywhere else already so I doubled back and looked again. When I went to Bee's quarters, there was a large lump under the tarp and it was Bumblebee… but he was a youngling." I paused seeing Optimus' confused face, he gestured for me to continue.

"Then I heard Ratchet calling my name so I picked up Bee and met Ratchet in the hallway. Then we went around finding the others and we found Arcee on a really high shelf and Bulkhead was covered in Energon from the supply room so when we found them we cleaned up Bulkhead and checked Arcee for injuries in the Medbay. I managed to get dog piled by Bee and Arcee then after he'd been cleaned, Bulkhead wanted in too so I got flattened whilst arguing with Ratchet about going and looking for you. So after a while, when the others were asleep, I went and looked for you in your quarters. I found you under your berth and you kinda came out and hurtled yourself into me. All the while saying my name 'Em!'"

"Then we went out and returned to Ratchet but we took a while coz you kept on tripping over your feet and falling over mine. Then when you did fall over mine, you sorta yelled an apology but you looked really afraid and you started crying." I stopped when Optimus smiled and chuckled softly. "Then I couldn't feel your hand in mine anymore. The ground in front of me then opened up into a bottomless pit where there were several demons… and you were in the middle of them. I screamed your name and they started attacking me. Three spat poison and the rest spat acid; I'd gotten hit six times by the time I reached you but one got me in the optics and then the world starting collapsing again. The last thing I saw was a demon… beheading you… and a ghost of a smile… lingering… on your… lips."

I couldn't control myself; I broke down into a fresh pool of blue tears as Optimus brought me closer and hugged me, all the while telling me it was going to be ok. He stroked my helm and held me so strongly I began to feel tired again, but I definitely didn't want to go back to sleep if that was what was waiting for me. I couldn't handle the first one, let alone another!

"Hey, come on, let's go to the Medbay and we'll see if we can't get you something to treat that shock, hey?" Optimus offered, I hiccupped and nodded. We slid out from under the berth and, with Optimus' arm around my shoulders, we headed to the Medbay.

* * *

><p>I was sat down on the Medbay berth for quite some time while we waited for Ratchet to come back. Optimus had commed him ages ago and he should've been back by now; I was beginning to get really paranoid. Jumping at every little movement, every sound, every shadow. Optimus had to keep a firm grip on my shoulders to stop me from running after I nearly dragged him off with me when a clang ricocheted around the base. I was still crying a bit but not as much as before, I also had excess air in my tanks and kept on hiccupping to get rid of it. Optimus' strong arms were wrapped around me as he leaned back against the wall. He was sat on the berth with me, I was sort of in his lap resting my head back against his chest. I felt totally protected and safe, nothing could harm me as long as Optimus was near me.<p>

It was gone 1 a.m. when Ratchet came back in; he'd tracked down a mild sedative mixed with a chemical that suppressed dreams and hallucinations. He injected it into my neck after a relatively long scuffle; I flatly refused to have that thing jabbed into my neck cabling so I wriggled out of Optimus' grip and ran for the doors. Optimus pulled me back, kicking at him to let go, and wrapped his arms around me as Ratchet held my head to one side and injected me with the stuff. When Optimus could feel my body relaxing he cautiously relaxed his grip but didn't let go entirely. My visor was still down when my optics clicked off and I salvaged what sleep I could before I had to get back up anyway.

Optimus had carried me back to my quarters and had stayed with me all night, waiting to calm me if I woke up again after yet another nightmare. I woke up twice, paranoid, and Optimus darted to my side when I started sniffling again. Miraculously, everyone was granted a lie-in after Ratchet had checked the monitors for any signs of Decepticon activity - there was none. On his way back to his quarters, Bumblebee stopped in the doorway of my room to see Optimus hugging me as I sobbed into his armour, rocking me slightly to lull me to sleep. I looked over Optimus' shoulders and saw him there, smiling warmly at me. I smiled back, he waved and left. But little did I know what Bee had done whilst stood there.

* * *

><p>Roars of laughter erupted from the Training Room and I was jolted out from my reverie. Optimus let go and we got up to see what was going on. Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead and Ratchet weren't there, turns out they were in by the monitors again but they were watching something on the screens.<p>

"What are you guys watching?" I asked curiously. As soon as I'd asked, they shut down the screens and turned around to face us, guilt plastered on their faces.

"Nothing." They all replied a bit too quickly for my liking.

"Uh huh? So you won't mind loading up the monitors again, will you?" Optimus said, arms crossed. They all looked at one another when Bulkhead fessed up and started the blame game.

"Bumblebee filmed something!"

_"Ratchet told me to!"_

"Told you to my aft! Anyway, it was Arcee's idea!"

"No it wasn't! As I recall, it was actually Bulkhead's idea!" They carried on squabbling until Optimus yelled for silence. They all shut up pretty quickly, mouths clamped close and hands behind their backs.

"Thank you, now Ratchet, will you please load up the monitors and play whatever Bumblebee filmed?" Optimus asked, his voice sounded strained like he was trying to control something. Ratchet grimaced and obeyed. Bumblebee, Arcee and Bulkhead all stood aside, all of them trying really hard not to laugh or anything. Ratchet played the clip and Optimus and I locked up in horror.

It was a clip of Optimus hugging me.

* * *

><p><em><strong>====== Bumblebee's POV ======<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong><em><strong>CRASH! CRASH!<strong>_**_

_**Emerald and Optimus both locked up and collapsed on the floor. Both sets of optics offline as Ratchet and Bulkhead hurried to get them to the Medbay. Arcee looked at me, I looked at her and we both started giggling at the thought of the clip. It might not sound funny but we've never seen Optimus actually show his emotions before, especially loving emotions. It was almost startling at first but when we watched it again, we found it rather funny. I showed Arcee the clip first, then Bulkhead came in and joined in watching. When Ratchet heard Bulkhead's incredibly loud laughing, he came and we all started laughing our afts off at the scene.**_

_**I'd never laughed so much in my life! But what made it all the funnier was the fact that Emerald was looking right at me as I'd filmed it! She had had no idea! I felt a little bit guilty as Arcee and I made our way to the Medbay where Optimus and Emerald lay on seperate berths, Ratchet running scans on them just to be on the safe side. That was Ratchet: the control, health and safety freak. It reminded me of the time when while I was out with Optimus going up against Skyquake, Ratchet took over on the children's science projects. 'Hostile Takeover' we'd nicknamed it afterwards while Ratchet was elsewhere.**_

_**"Bumblebee! Why did you take that clip?" Ratchet almost yelled at me.**_

_**"Hey! It was your idea to take it in the first place!" I defended myself; it was actually, Ratchet kinda wanted to get even with Prime for leaving him alone with the children one day whilst the rest of us went out on an exceedingly long patrol.**_

_**"Well..."**_

_**"Wait, it was your idea Ratchet?" Emerald said as she sat up, her green visor still down. She looked pretty cool with the visor, it reminded me sadly of the missing Jazz, Optimus' old TIC.**_

_**"Scrap." Ratchet swore as Optimus also sat up rubbing his head.**_

_**"That was not funny at all Ratchet. But you're all lucky I'm going to let that one pass." Optimus said as he hauled himself to his pedes. Emerald also stood up after Arcee and Bulkhead left for patrol but sat back down quickly as a wave of nausea ran across her body.**_

_**"Grr, stupid diagnostic data." She growled, Ratchet wandered over to her and checked her scans before returning to repairing the ground bridge.**_

_**"Your body is fine, Emerald, there's nothing wrong with you." Ratchet said as he knelt down and began rewiring the ground bridge, the circuits were fried after our recent battle with the Cons.**_

_**"That's what you think." muttered Emerald as she left for the Training Room. I followed her and we started sparring gently, I didn't want to hurt her again like the last time. I shuddered slightly at the memory and ducked as she aimed a high kick at my head.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Time passed and we were still sparring, even long after Arcee and Bulkhead had arrived with the children; I'd no idea Raf was back so he came to me.<strong>_

_**"Hi Bee!" Raf's voice rang across the Training Room, I paused for a moment, as did Emerald, and waved for him to sit down and watch for a bit.**_

_**"I'll be over in a few minutes Raf, I've just gotta finish sparring with Emerald." I chirped to my charge. Suddenly, Emerald's body went rigid and her visor flashed a dangerous red colour.**_

_**"Emerald?" I said caustiously, I kept my distance as she shifted into a genuine battle position, "Are you ok?" Suddenly, Emerald pulled out one of her swords and charged at me. I swiftly jumped over her as she swung the blade from the side, narrowly missing the blade. Her visor was still a crimson red as she slashed and swung the sword at me. Then she pulled out the second sword and went into full battle mode, clicking the two together and formed the double-sword staff. I ducked twice but the blade caught my knees and knocked me to the ground. I had no idea what was going on, this was not regular training - in fact, it wasn't training at all!**_

_**"RAF! GET OPTIMUS!" I shouted as Emerald pulled of a Lara Croft style manouvre and sent me flying back into the wall. Raf sprinted out of the room and came back a few minutes later on Ratchet's shoulder with Optimus running behind him. Ratchet gently set Raf down and prepared a sedative. I was getting my hands cut while holding the amazingly sharp blade away from my face using my hands; it was biting deep into the metal of the palms of my hands and I winced at the pain and cried out when she rammed it in further.**_

_**"EMERALD!" Optimus roared in almost fury and shock, "RELEASE CEASE AND DESIST NOW!" Emerald swung the blade away from my hands and attacked Optimus instead. He brought out an Energon shield and the blade clashed with it with such a resounding clang, Ratchet and I winced at the pitch of it.**_

_**"Ratchet! The sedative!" Raf yelled as Emerald swung the blade again, narrowly missing Optimus' antennae. Ratchet, as if he was in a dream-like state, snapped into action and lined up a tranquiliser gun to Emerald's neck but he couldn't get a clear shot.**_

_**"Optimus! You have to pin her down! Or at least hold her still!" Ratchet shouted as he missed another chance to shoot. Optimus nodded and tackled Emerald, pinning her against the wall; who could've guesses a small femme like Emerald could be a worthy opponent against an astounding warrior and fighter like Optimus Prime? Even Optimus seemed surprised at the sudden burst in strength, speed, agility and power in the femme but that didn't stop him from pinning her down while Ratchet took the shot. Emerald grunted as the dart hit home and her movements slowed considerably; eventually after she'd freed herself from Optimus' grip she slumped forwards into Optimus' arms, dropping the double sword and falling into a peaceful stasis.**_

_**I was truly frightened when Emerald started attacking me, but I'd no idea why she was doing it. The thing that startled me the most was the fact that her visor was bright red like a Decepticon's but she wasn't using any Decpeticon-like fighting moves. It was like the lights were on but nobody was home... or her mind had been hijacked.**_


	16. Aftermath Truth And Recharging Problems

I found myself strapped to a berth when I woke up. I strained against the straps but I couldn't get free, they were stronger than I thought. I could see my double-sword propped against the far wall, bright blue energon encrusted it. I vented sharply as I realised whose energon that might be. Something glinted out of the corner of my eyes and my head turned to face two blue optics on the far side by the sword. It was Ratchet.

"It's no use trying to snap them, Emerald, you can't break them. And even if you did you wouldn't be able to go anywhere." Ratchet's voice came from the other side of the room. I relaxed my arms and asked what was going on.

"You don't remember?" Ratchet was puzzled as he walked over to me, a strong sedative armed should I try something.

"No, why? Did I do something?" I asked, befuddled, if I'd done something and I hurt someone… I shuddered to think about what might have happened. Ratchet's frown deepened further.

"Yes you did. You attacked Bumblebee during training and you then turned on Optimus too." my optics grew wide underneath my visor as the memories, although shrouded by a thick layer of fog I could not pierce, came back to me slowly. I remembered sparring with Bumblebee for a few minutes, then my body went rigid and then the last thing I remember is drawing my swords and lunging towards Bee before it all washed away. Just then, Bumblebee and Optimus and Raf came into the room. I could see fresh welds on Bumblebee's hands and on Optimus' shoulder where my double-sword must've cut them. I felt queasy as they came in further. Ratchet could see my optics staring at the wounds.

"I – I did that?" I said in a small voice; I suddenly felt afraid, I'd hurt two of my best friends! I rested my head back against the berth and closed my optics.

'_What have I done?'_ I thought morosely, _'if they keep me here, I could kill them. If I stay here, I could kill them. If I leave I could get captured and killed by the Cons and if they make me leave, I'll still get captured and killed by the Cons.'_ There was no solution to my predicament; I was dangerous and there was nothing Ratchet could do to subdue it. Optimus walked over to me and knelt down at my side; he gently undid the straps on my wrists and allowed me to sit up.

"Prime, are you sure that's safe?" Raf asked, concerned and perplexed; what was Optimus up to?

"Yes I am sure Rafael. But, Emerald, I am afraid we're going to have to put some cuffs on you just to stop you from trying to attack should your processor get hijacked again." I nodded in understanding and my hands were cuffed behind my back. I wriggled a bit, trying to get comfortable, when a thought hit my mind.

"Wait, my processor got _hijacked_?" I asked, massively scared and confused. Ratchet walked over to the berth and sat down beside me.

"When Bumblebee described to us what had happened before you started attacking, I had a sneaky suspicion that before Megatron threw you through the ground bridge to Antarctica, he might've done something to your processor that caused you to think and act like a Decepticon. Now, Bumblebee did tell us that they weren't standard Decepticon fighting moves, that they were something else. Am I right?" I nodded, I remembered vaguely the types of fighting moves I'd pulled on Bee and Prime and I definitely knew they weren't a Decepticons'.

"But you said my mind might've been hijacked?" I pressed, eager and not so eager to find out what was going on.

"Yes, after I ran scans on your processor they revealed that there was a small code implanted into your core programming that would occasionally activate and turn you against whichever side you may have taken; it sounds confusing I know but it will only happen a few times." Ratchet explained, "thankfully, that was the last time it can be activated; it is now dead and cannot harm you." I breathed a sigh of relief as Optimus undid the cuffs.

"So, now I can't hurt you guys anymore. Right? Who put it there anyway?"

"I am guessing, not the Decepticons, but maybe one of your Creators." I frowned.

"Why would my Creators do this?" Ratchet shrugged.

"Maybe they did it because they feared what side you may take during the wars. They probably implanted that code to make you fight once against the side you have chosen to prove which side you are worthy of."

"Huh?"

"I mean, they make you fight your own side to prove which side you won't hurt; i.e. you couldn't hurt Optimus nor Bumblebee properly so that makes you loyal to the Autobots. Your Creators must've bore this in mind, that you wouldn't hurt someone close to you, when they created the code."

"Ohhhh, that makes more sense." It did, my Creators wanted me to take a side but not out of being forced to so they created that evil little code to make me fight one side and whichever side I don't hurt the most (i.e. as in kill them) is the side I am most loyal to. I was pretty relieved that I was able to remain as an Autobot; then yet another thought occurred to me, I wasn't "branded" as an Autobot!

"So that makes me an Autobot now, right?" I asked Optimus, he nodded, "so how come I haven't got an Autobot symbol then?" Bumblebee, Raf and Ratchet stifled a laugh as it dawned on Optimus what I meant. He left the room and came back a couple of minutes later with a small silver Autobot badge in his large hands. Ratchet, Bee and Raf left the room to join Arcee, Jack, Bulkhead and Miko who were forced to stay away to prevent any further casualties in case I attacked again. Optimus sat down on the berth and placed the badge on my shoulder; the same place where Optimus had his.

"I hereby award you the highest possible honour I can give: my Second In Command." I was completely at a loss for words, the badge fused to my armour but that didn't matter; I was now Second to Optimus Prime! I sat there on the berth staring at the symbol on my arm, I noticed it wasn't a greyish colour like the others', in fact; it was a bright silver with tainted green edges. I looked up at Optimus and smiled hugely. He too smiled and, yes you could probably guess what was going to happen next, he wrapped his huge arms around me and kissed me for the second time in a week! Again, his lips were as soft as feathers and he was officially getting better at it, I returned the kiss passionately and strongly. I vaguely wondered somewhere in my mind whether Elita One was good at kissing.

* * *

><p>The next few hours were a blur, one minute I was kissing Optimus, the next I was recharging next to him on the berth, still in the room where I'd been strapped to the berth. I opened my optics and my visor slid up sluggishly; it'd been a while since I'd lifted the visor after I'd pulled it down in Antarctica… that was ages ago. When Optimus had kissed me was a blur too, then it all came rushing back to me; I was now SIC to the mech that had an arm around my waist, recharging.<p>

"Oh man, de ja vu much!" I muttered; it felt like when Optimus and I had just turned back from being cats and he was cuddling me whilst he was asleep, "oh well, who cares?" I snuggled back down, according to my internal chronometer it was eleven at night, and went back into recharge, blissfully dreaming about my kiss.

* * *

><p>"Optimus, get off me!" I said as I tried to prise Optimus' arm from around my waist away... to no avail.<p>

_'Slag, it's no use. He's too deep asleep for me to wake him up!'_ I thought as I gave up trying to release myself from my leader's titanic grip. I sighed and tried to snuggle back down... just as Optimus rolled over, pulling me onto his chest.

"Oh!" I exclaimed as Optimus pulled the tarp over my head and fell even deeper asleep, "Optimus! Get up!" I struggled in his vice-like grip as he cuddled me even more. I rested my helm on his chest, feeling the beat of his spark and the rise and fall of his chest as he vented ever so softly. His face looked so peaceful as he dreamed of Primus knows what, like he'd never led an army in his life and like he'd never been a part of any kind of war. It was now nearly 2 a.m. and there was only a few hours left before Ratchet came in and started working on the monitors. I couldn't have Ratchet seeing this again; he'd already beared witness to holoform-Optimus cuddling me and if he came in whist we were in our robot form... I shuddered as a thought popped into my head.

"Optimus! Will you please get up already!" I all but growled at my leader, although he was a fantastic kisser and leader he would sleep like a log! Meaning that he would never get up when you wanted him to simply just by shaking him or calling him. It was ridiculous! Just then, Bumblebee walked in to check on the monitors. As he walked groggily past us, having woken up early, Bee paused and did a double take.

_"Emerald? Why is Optimus cuddling you?"_ the poor scout asked innocently.

"This is gonna scar you for life isn't it?" I said sympathetically.

_"Yes, that's more than likely!"_ Bumblebee buzzed back; it was unfortunate that he young scout had to see this, he was the Cybertronian equivalent to Raf's age and if he was seeing his strong and noble leader cuddling his new SIC... Bumblebee nearly did the robot equivalent to fainting on the spot!

"Bee, do you think you could get Ratchet? He's the only one who can get Optimus up!" I pleaded desperately.

_"I don't know... I'll try but if I get a wrench lodged in my helm, I'm gonna get payback during training ya know that?"_

"Yeah I know Bee, but can you please hurry? This isn't exactly the best position for me to be in; I'm kinda pinned down by his arms on his chest... I don't like it." Bumblebee nodded and ran for Ratchet's room. Ten minutes later, with a few scuff marks on his armour, Bumblebee returned with a VERY grouchy medic armed with seven wrenches ready for throwing. Upon seeing me and Optimus, Ratchet very nearly doubled up in a fit of hysterics as he neared the berth. I glared at him, a glare that probably even Megatron and Starscream would run from.

"Shut. Up. And. Wake. Him. Up!" I growled angrily, Ratchet ceased laughing pretty quickly and did the exact thing he did before: yell in Optimu' audios.

"WAKE UP!" The medic practically screamed. Optimus literally jumped awake and I rolled off the berth in a tangle of tarp and landed on the floor with a resounding clang.

"Ow!" I moaned as I disentangled myself from said tarp and picked myself up. I sat back down on the berth next to Optimus who was rubbing his aching audios.

"Was that really neccessary Ratchet?" He grumped.

"Aww, has ickle wickle Prime missed his beddy bys?" I teased in a sing-song voice. Bumblebee and Ratchet then completely broke down into hysterics, losing all sense of formality in front of their leader.

"Not funny." Optimus replied as he gave me a playful shove. Although he remained exceedingly stoic and seemingly emotionless in front of Arcee, Bulkhead, Jack, Raf, Miko and Agent Fowler and June Darby, I knew that there was a fun side to the Prime too... as well as a romantic one. Once Bee and Ratchet had collected the shattered remains of their dignity and Prime too, they retreated back to their quarters leaving us alone once more.

"If you're gonna go back to sleep, please, for the love of Primus, don't start cuddling me. It was pretty uncomfortable for me seeing as you managed to pull me onto your chest." Optimus cringed at the thought of me on his chassis and lay back down, slipping into recharge. I too then slipped into recharge, still smiling at the memory of being pinned down on Optimus Prime's chassis.


	17. Is This My Final Battle?

With the days that passed, Megatron's forces grew more and more active and we were stretched thinner and thinner to stop the treacherous Decepticon army. The amount of times the ground bridge had been activated was beyond tallying; even Ratchet wasn't sure how many times he'd activated it. Twice, Miko had put herself in danger by trying to follow her Guardian, Bulkhead, through the ground bridge just so she could get in and take some snaps of the battles that were inevitably on the other side. Optimus and I managed somehow to get the most injuries and brave the hardest of the battles; facing Megatron, Starscream and/or Soundwave. Optimus would, as per usual, take on Megatron whilst I battled with either the warlord's second and third.

Soundwave was a particularly vicious opponent, he'd wait until I had to cool my systems a bit and then he'd strike. Using either Laserbeak or those weird tentacle things. he'd often render me partially useless by striking one of my arms so it was unusable and then, every time, going for the spark. However, on all occasions, I would get the better of the Con with no face and use his power against him; Soundwave was at least twice my height but we were equally matched, to an extent, with ability and power. Where Soundwave struck whilst stood still, I could strike on the move, earning kicks and punches in his armour practically everywhere. And usually, by the time our battle had drawn to a close and they had retreated, I would always come out on top whereas Soundwave would be left with dents and dings in most of his armour.

Starscream, on the other hand, was even more vicious than Soundwave; he would lash out if his plans didn't go accordingly, using his claws to slash maliciously away at my plating. On several occasions, Starscream went for my optics but my visor had slid down at the last second, chipping his claws. I didn't know what my visor was made of, but it was blatantly strong enough to blunt a Decepticon's claws! Starscream's weapons consisted of mainly guns, null rays (although he no longer uses them because I broke all of the cartridges) and missiles; my weapons were my sword, bow and arrow and a lot of throwing knives. I rarely used guns and missiles; they were only brought in if we were in a huge massacre or ambush. The Decepticon SIC, again, could hardly ever beat me, I'd always retreat as the victor whereas he would come out looking like he'd been through the scrap yard twice backwards! However, once, Starscream _did_ come out victorious and nearly killed me if Bumblebee and Knock Out hadn't ploughed into him just as he raised his claws for the kill; afterwards, I'd been confined to a coma-like state and hadn't done anything for at least three Earth weeks.

Today though the Decepticons were targeting Antarctica again, seemingly to get the huge Energon reserve that lay under the frozen landscape.

"Great, yet another chance to freeze our sparkplugs off again." Arcee grumbled as all of us, with the exception of Ratchet, prepared for another skirmish with the Brainless Army, a title Raf, Bumblebee and I had come up with once for the Decepticons.

"Yeah but we've got to stop the Cons." I replied calmly as Ratchet set up the bridge. It turned out the Decepticons were actually _digging_ through Anarctica's miles-deep surface to get the Energon!

"Plus it'd be fun to watch them eventually realise that they can't actually get anywhere near the Energon!" Bulkhead added, sarcastically sympathetically towards the Decepticons.

"Autobots, prepare for battle. Ratchet, activate the ground bridge." Optimus said and we stepped through the swirling vortex before us.

* * *

><p><strong>====== Five Minutes Later ======<strong>

* * *

><p>Gunfire and missiles echoed in my audios as shots were fired all around me, tearing up the landscape and melting great glaciers of ice. I'd already sustained a pretty bad summary of wounds and I was bleeding heavily from a deep gash on my back in between my spinal struts and my right shoulder plating. Every move, dodge, twist and turn aggravated the wound and opened it further, spilling more Energon onto the frozen, pitforsaken snow. As the Con in front of my fired again, I winced in pain as the wound split open, this time covering half of my back. The others weren't doing so good either; Optimus was bleeding in his thigh, a piece of Bumblebee's armour had been sliced off by Knock Out, Arcee's right wrist had been twisted and was out of action and Bulkhead had an icy stalagmite rammed through his shoulder by Breakdown.<p>

After beheading the Con I was faced with, I paused and took in my surroundings; the miners had gotten further than we'd anticipated and we were vastly outnumbered but one thing troubled me: Megatron and his Second/Third In Command were no where to be seen. I frowned before feeling another sharp pain tear through me, forcing me onto the ground. A Vehicon had also rammed a frozen stalagmite through my shoulder plating, this time on my left. I growled at the Con and readied my sword, one of them was buried in the snow somewhere, and got to one knee as he charged. I had no idea Cons were so stupid; he ran right into the sword!

I wrenched said sword out from the now deceased Vehicon's chassis and slumped onto both knees; the Cons were slowly tunnelling closer to the huge Energon reserve beneath us and we couldn't get close enough to stope them. Everytime we downed one Con, to more sprang into place; it reminded me gravely of the Greek mythological monster, the Hydra. Whenever you chop off one head, two more grow back in its place and that made it all the more harder to kill. It was the same here. A cry of pain rang out across the frozen white wasteland as Arcee was literally kicked across Antarctica and slowly clicked into stasis before our very optics.

"No!" Bulkhead cried as he was dragged under by at least thirteen Vehicons; Bee was holding out... for now. Optimus was bleeding Energon severely heavily now and I could see trails of frozen Energon streaking down his back. I grimaced as I dislodged the stalagmite from my shoulder and threw it at a Con dog-piling Bulkhead. It screamed as the stalagmite pierced right through his head and he fell to the ground offline, twitching. We had all been run ragged and we couldn't survive for much longer; our systems were slowing seizing up and going offline. We hadn't been able to call for pickup because of signal scramblers in the vicinity plus our comms had frozen over, a thick layer of ice smothering it. Suddenly, the Cons stopped and we did so too. No one knew why we'd all stopped, not even the Decepticons. It unnerved me as a ground bridge opened up and the Decepticon miners and fighters retreated back through it; we made no attempt to follow them for we were too exhausted to even shoot any more at them. I retrieved my other sword from the ground and joined the other Autobots as Optimus called for pickup.

"Do you really think we would leave you be, Prime?" Megatron's chilling voice rang out from the skies above, "do you honestly think we'd leave you without your leaving present?" he mocked from his safe haven in the sky. Optimus, too weary to reply, just carried on calling Ratchet, almost like he'd forgotten about the signal scramblers surrounding us. Just as Optimus got through to our medic, a massive blast hit us, scattering us in different directions. I managed to get flung in the same direction as Optimus as he protected me from a majority of the blast, using his large frame to cover mine as we landed roughly in the snow banks at least a mile away from the others. The impact nearly knocked me unconscious save for the soft snow beneath me. I landed half on top of Optimus and half on top of the snow, a majority on the snow. I raised my head from the crystalline snow and looked around at my hazy, blurry surroundings.

"Optimus..." I whispered as he moved beneath me, trying, I think, to get me off him. I lethargically rolled over and gasped as the incredibly cold snow struck my wound in my back. I could see out of the corner of my visor that Optimus was sitting up, wincing at every aggravation of every wound he beared. I tried to haul myself up but lay back down when my gears protested, screaming at me to not do it.

"Emerald?" Optimus said, it was like he'd lost me.

"Here" I wheezed back, my systems, yet again, clicking off one by one. Optimus crawled over to me and cradled my broken form in his large arms as the other Autobots limped, ran and stumbled over to us. From out of my cracked visor I could see that Bulkhead still had Breakdown's stalagmite lodged in his shoulder plating; Arcee's wrist was bleeding as icy patches formed around it and Bumblebee's leg was bleeding steadily. I think it was safe to say that Team Prime had taken the worst pounding since my arrival.

"Can you sit up at all?" Optimus said. I tried to shake my head

"No, my systems are going offline again." Was all I could say before Arcee began trying, almost in vain, to get through to Ratchet for a bridge. The Nemesis was still hovering above us like a vulture circles its prey before moving in for the kill. I watched it as, eventually, it left us to freeze. Recharge was teasing me, tantalisingly close to me... all I had to do was let go...

"Emerald!" Optimus gently shook me awake, there was a soft blue-green glow I could just about make out from the corner of my cracked visor and a red and white blurr came towards us; Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead were no where to be seen, probably on the other side of the ground bridge.

"Optimus, with all due respect, pull yourself together; if you get it together you can get her through the ground bridge where I can treat her!" I groggily recognised that voice and blurr to be Ratchet as Otpimus put his arms beneath me and gently picked me up. I had no energy left to cry out at the pain that surged through every circuitin my wreck of a chassis, I merely slumped down into Optimus' arms and tried to look up at him; his face was scarred but his optics were still the warm, loving ones I'd seen everytime before he kissed me.. but it was _different_. There was anger, sorrow, loss, hope and anxiety all mixed up into the Prime's face and there were more hidden behind his optics: love. He looked down at me properly and it shocked me to the spark to see that there were streams of blue tears working their way down his cheeks. I smiled and more blue tears welled up in his optics and broke free of their barrier. I could feel tears welling up in my optics too and, for the first time, I felt human again.

* * *

><p>The blue-green light faded away behind us and I heard several gasps from several witnesses to my piss-poor condition. I hazily opened my optics and saw June, Jack, Miko, Raf, Agent Fowler, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee near the monitors. All of them, the human children especially, had looks of horror on their faces as Energon still flowed uninteruppted down my armour and onto the floor. Through my green cracked visor, I could see June and Fowler leading the chlidren away and Arcee leading Bulkhead and Bee away to the Training Room. I was taken to the Medbay and was layed ever-so-gently down onto the berth. I winced a smidgen, literally, as the wounds were aggravated even more. Optimus refused to leave my side, even when Ratchet threatened him with a welder by his helm; Optimus barely flinched. He held my hand and cried as my spark rate dived.<p>

"No no no no no, NO!" Ratchet yelled as my optics clicked offline, perhaps for the last time. It was hard to tell whether my audios were off or Ratchet was silent. I struggled to pull my optics back online but when I did, Optimus had completely broken down into fresh tears. He was saying something as Ratchet ran back and forth, trying so desperately to fix me. It looked like he had no idea what to do.

"I've already lost one Autobot, I nearly lost another and I'm not about to lose you, Emerald! You will live even if I have to give my spark for your!" Ratchet yelled as he readied more tools and equipment. After a while, I could feel a hot sensation on a plate of armour and I tried to turn my head to look; Ratchet forced it back as hard but as soft as he could. He was welding my injuries as, really surprisingly, blue-green tears streaked down his face too!

"Ratchet, is she gonna stabilise?" Optimus said, his voice cracking. Ratchet's face, although blurry, looked grim.

"She would if she had a secondary life-support system hooked up. Problem is, we dont have one." Ratchet said, "Emerald's systems and spark cannot stabilise by itself."

"So? What does she need? Tell me Ratchet!" Optimus' voice became more and more desperate and pleading as my life force was haemorraging and couldn't stabilise. Ratchet hesitated and there was palpable tension in the air around us.

"She needs a spark bond"


	18. Bonded And Bewildered Aboard The Nemesis

A/N: I won't be going into detail with the spark bond because A) I don't know how Cybertronians bond, B) I don't know how to explain it and C) I don't want it to sound a bit… _wrong_. I'm only 13 you know!

Also, I am so sorry for taking so long to update, my mum had taken away my Internet access and, in doing so, had broken the dongle (the thing that gave me internet) and the exterior USB ports on my computer so I couldn't get into FanFiction. It was near torture!

* * *

><p>My surroundings had become really hazily blurred and I could only just about make out the fuzzy outline of Optimus and Ratchet as they talked in a rather heated fashion, like a debate.<p>

"Ratchet, a spark bond?"

"A spark bond; it's the only way Emerald's spark can stabilise if there is someone else's spark there to help it."

"But are you sure you know how to do it?"

"Yes! I have studied it thoroughly, so thoroughly in fact, that I know every inch of it forwards, backwards, upside down and sideways!"

"Yeah but have you ever performed it?" There was concern speckling Optimus' deep baritone voice as he spoke, his hands still encasing mine.

"Yes, I have done it many times on Cybertron!" Ratchet said, almost snapping at the concerned Prime. My optics cleared a bit of the excess fluids and Ratchet drained away the rest. I thought I knew who was willing enough to do the spark bond but my thoughts became more and more swamped, as recharge was only a few metres away from me. Optimus and Ratchet fell silent, both considering their options.

"I'll do it." Prime said after a while. I smiled, relieved that I would finally get the mech of my dreams, "but not only to save her life." He added.

"Really?" I croaked, I knew exactly what he meant by 'not only to save her life'; he meant out of his love for me… I think.

"Yes," he then whispered into my audio, "because I love you, Emerald, and, if it is fine with you, I want to bond with you." I smiled again

"Yes, yes of course!" I agreed; it felt like he'd just proposed to me and, in a way, he did! I was over the moon with joy and happiness, no doubt Optimus was too, as Ratchet prepped his tools and equipment required for the spark bond. Then he stopped.

"Ratchet? What is it?" Ratchet packed away his tools as he realised something.

"I cannot help you bond."

"What? Why?" I asked severely disappointed at the medic's response.

"Because you have to do it yourselves in order to create the strongest bond as possible. By the way, as I have understood it and have been taught it, the femme must always be in a mild stasis for the strongest bond." Ratchet said as he walked out of the Medbay, "good luck." Was all he said as he shut the doors and left us to it. I looked up at Optimus and he looked at me, both of us wondering how to do this.

"So," I said, "how are we doing this?"

* * *

><p><strong>====== 2 ½ Hours Later (there or there abouts) ======<strong>

* * *

><p>:: Ratchet, this is Optimus, come in::<p>

:: Ratchet here, go ahead Prime::

:: We've completed the spark bond::

:: Right, I'll be right there. Ratchet out::

Optimus lay back down on the berth next to me; both of us could feel each other's relief and love. I sighed and turned to look at my new bondmate.

"You ok?" I asked

"Yeah, you?" I smiled and let him know through our spark bond. I was exhausted from bonding with him and I could tell he was too; the bonding process was relatively simple, all you had to do was open up the casing to the spark and let the mech do the rest whilst in mild stasis.

"I think that went well." Was all I could say before Ratchet came in and started prepping a few scanners. He took one look at us and a smile tugged at his mouth, tempting him to grin widely. Before he could though, he turned around and went back to the scanners. After a while, Ratchet came back over to us with said scanner and did a quick check on our spark rates.

"Everything is fine and the bond is at its strongest; full strength." He diagnosed, satisfied we were good to go, "although, Emerald?" I stopped, my legs over the side of the berth, ready to stand up.

"Yes Ratchet?" his features looked hard but then softened.

"Be careful with your welds and go easy on the mech," Ratchet said, I smiled and took off for my quarters. My spark felt like it was brand new and I could feel Optimus' spark was like it too. It had been a strange sensation, the bonding, and I'd never felt anything like it before in my life, both human and Autobot. It was the softest, the most gentle procedure I'd ever been through; Optimus' spark was so warm, my systems threatened to go into recharge properly! At one point, I started to hallucinate a bit; I pictured Optimus with huge feathery wings, both gold and flecked with silver around the tips, as strong as titanium, stronger even. After the hallucination, I didn't really remember much else just that there was a lot, and I mean _a LOT_, of kissing involved. After the bond had been completed I found that I was snuggled into Optimus and he had his arms around me; I couldn't really do much, even though Optimus wasn't asleep, so I warmed right into him, startling him a bit, and allowed positive feelings flood through the newly developed spark bond to my gorgeous bondmate.

A few minutes passed and we'd gone by all the others' quarters but there was no sign of them, all of their doors were open but they weren't inside. Soon I came to my quarters and stopped, ready to retreat back into the comfort of my own room when Optimus caught my arm as I moved.

"Yes?" I said as I turned to face my bondmate.

"You do know that we don't have to sleep separately now we are bondmates?" Optimus said, his voice always melted my spark every time he spoke.

"I know, and yes." I said as I opened the doors and waited for him to join me inside. Prime just stood there, puzzling out what I had said when it dawned on him; he smiled lovingly and joined me inside, closing the door behind him. I was sat on my-our berth, waiting for him to join me when he stopped. I could sense something was wrong through our bond and tensed immediately.

"Optimus? What is it?" he was a library, so silent you could hear a pin drop and it would echo around spookily. His optics was darting around the room as though they were searching for something. I repeated myself, this time a little louder. Optimus seemed to snap back into reality but a grave look was carved into his features and he said only one word.

"Decepticons." My optics widened and we sprinted out of the room as the alarms sounded.

"Ratchet! What's going on?" I shouted over said alarms, they were louder than usual and red lights were glaring down at us angrily.

"Decepticons have attacked the other Autobots! And the children and June are with them!" Ratchet said as he shut off the blaring alarms and closed down the red lights. Not a word was said as Optimus and I transformed and sped out of the base, not caring about the speed limits.

"Prime! Where are the Decepticons?" I said through our comm. Link.

"Do you remember the canyon where you first saw me in my regular form?"

"You are _joking_!" I said; I did remember, it was a terrifying night for me when I'd seen Optimus in his regular form. I remembered all the terror and fright I'd played host to and I nearly swerved off the road if Optimus hadn't gently nudge me back on.

"Sorry, let's go!" I apologised; we sped off towards the canyon and, thankfully, it wasn't very far away.

When we arrived, the other Autobots were fighting down that same stretch of canyon where I'd first seen the three Cybertronians. Optimus and I transformed and joined in on the action, but, before I could even draw my swords, I sensed something wasn't quite right.

I was right.

Swooping down from seemingly nowhere came Megatron and Starscream, firing continuous shots of red lasers at us. I ran towards the cave where June and the children were hiding but was sent sprawling across the canyon into a wall, Energon almost gushing from a large wound in my back. Optimus looked up in alarm as I'd allowed some of the pain to traverse through our bond. I winced as I tried to pick myself up from the floor, suddenly feeling someone else do it for me, grasping me by the shoulders and pulling me into their grip. I tried to twist around to see who it was but pain flared through me like the Titanic's distress signals that went unanswered. I struggled in their grasp and only to receive their claws dug deep into my shoulder plates. I gritted my denta in pain and closed my optics, my visor down.

I could feel Optimus yelling at me through our spark bond however I had no energy to yell back; Energon was drying in thick layers on my armour and I scraped some off as I was carried higher into the air… towards the Nemesis. Below me, I could see the familiar vortex of the Autobot ground bridge as the dark smudges against the landscape disappeared into it. Sorrow welled up inside me but the raging fires of fury extinguished it, perhaps forever this time. Soon we reached the depths of the Nemesis and I was literally thrown into a cell and the door locked behind me. I was a prisoner of the very faction I had the power to destroy and it nearly broke me as I realised that maybe I didn't have the power Optimus said I had to stop the Decepticons. Maybe I was just another ordinary Autobot fighting for a lost cause. Maybe I was better off living as a human, living a relatively ordinary life. Maybe I shouldn't have gone to the party after all. I mentally slapped myself for thinking such things and tried to put things on a light note, not that the dark dingy depths of the Decepticons' ship were very cheerful.

Suddenly, the cell door opened and Megatron himself strolled into the odorous prison cell; upon seeing my sorrowful state crippled on the floors of his "magnificent" ship, he frowned and told the guards to leave us. The Vehicons exchanged looks with what little faces they had and obeyed their vengeful master. Said leader knelt down to me, fake concern plastered across his scarred battle-worn face. He reached out to me to touch the congealing Energon on my shoulders, as if to wipe them away, I flinched and tried to move away from Megatron, failing dismally. Megatron's frown deepened further and he said ever so softly,

"Did my Decepticons hurt you?" I stared at him in pure amazement. Seconds passed and I still kept on staring at him. Puzzlement passed over his face, "are you alright Emerald?" I stared at him, almost incredulously.

"Are you alright, Megatron?" I asked, getting concerned by the second. Megatron was the fearless leader of the Decepticons, he destroyed anything that defied him and was the arch-enemy to Optimus Prime… and he was asking me if I was ok? Megatron held my arm gently, carefully almost, and pulled me to my pedes. My optics widened surprised and dumbfounded as he led me, almost caringly, towards the Decepticons' sad excuse for a Medbay.

"Knock Out, repair Emerald to the highest standards before I return" Megatron ordered as he lay me down on the tilted berth, "or else." I shifted uncomfortably on the freezing berth as Knock Out and Breakdown stared after their leader disappearing down the gloomy corridors. Breakdown was the first to break the silence.

"Did he just ask us to repair the Autobot SIC?" Breakdown said in disbelief. Knock Out couldn't even form a reply, looked to me like his vocal processors had seized up or something… well, if you spend most of your time in Ratchet's Medbay then you're bound to pick up something!

"It would appear so. Breakdown, ready my tools. Are you comfortable Autobot?" Knock Out almost sneered at me, his optics narrowing as I kept a cool expression. The blue mech nodded and plonked a whole toolbox of tools on a desk; a toolbox Ratchet would be proud and jealous of. Suddenly, Knock Out appeared behind me and plucked at a cord in my neck.

"Hey! What're you -?" I started but I soon felt my systems closing down… again for the millionth time this week!

"Ah, ah, ah, although I don't agree with Lord Megatron's orders, I still have to fix you and that means stasis for you!" Knock Out tutted as my optics became heavy and started drooping to a close, my visor being gently prised upwards. All the gears in my body slackened and I completely relaxed, although unwillingly. A hot welding started on my lower arm, blobs of hot metal stinging the nerve endings.

"Ow…" I moaned softly as I dropped, again, into stasis.


	19. A Fight To The Death Ends Badly

**A/N : I am sooooo sorry for not updating this story for ages because (as I may have said in the previous chapter) my mum broke the Internet and I have LITERALLY only just got it back TODAY! I am soo happy! Ahh, now I can finally update this story. Another HUGE thank you to everyone who has stayed with Emerald til (hopefully!) the very end but there is still one more chapter after this...**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

><p>"<em>Emerald…"<em> voices whispered from the darkness, drawing me closer to them, tantalisingly close to me. I was surrounded by nothing, consumed by nothing and I was nothing. I could see nothing and yet I could draw on nothing too. It fed my power, strengthening me, powering me, _becoming_ me. I was the creator of nothing and nothing was the creator of me; the voices mingled and whispered around me, building into a crescendo and then falling deathly silent. Unnerving, disturbing and shockingly cold. I felt like I was God.

'_So powerful, so invulnerable, I am immortal.' _I thought, drunk on power. My thoughts slowly pieced themselves back together and the Nemesis came into focus around me. Panic consumed me and I thought for a fraction of a second that I was in a torture chamber, Cybertronian-style. My optics flickered around from Knock Out on my left to the Devil reincarnated on my right, Megatron. I prepared myself to scream and attack, possibly, when I also caught sight of a familiar face in front of me.

'_But that's not possible, Megatron would've slain him on sight!'_ my optics remained glued on the mech in front of me as Megatron and Knock Out move aside to allow him entry to my helpless form on the berth. The room around me brightened and became a more familiar sight: the Autobot Medbay. _'Impossible.'_ Was all I could think as the sanguine red and cobalt blue mech moved to my side and held my hand, a smile upon his heavenly, angel-like face. I turned my head to face him and realised that it was Optimus at my side… with two huge feathery wings on his back.

"Wha-?" I started but the words caught in my vocaliser, like when you're in a dream and you in particular cannot talk. Optimus smiled, even as Megatron unsheathed a sword from a scabbard upon his waist and aimed it directly at my spark mate's neck. I opened my mouth to scream a warning at him but the words caught, again, in my vocaliser. Megatron swung the sword and the silver blade hit home, Optimus' head falling to the floor a split second afterwards, his hands disintegrating in mine and his body crumbling to dust before me, horror building up inside me as Megatron laughed with evil glee that, at long last, his arch-enemy was dead. I could only see red in my vision as Megatron and Knock Out and the other Decepticons celebrated their enemy's death but the world began to pixelate and break up, crumbling away like Optimus did mere minutes ago.

I woke with a sudden jolt… only to find myself back in the dark and dingy cell I'd been in before the repair bay. There were numerous scratches upon the walls, ceiling and floor, created by the several thousand prisoners Megatron had kept in the years preceding now. Darker patches stood out from the dull grey walls, presumably dried Energon from the victims of his barbaric methods of torture for information, scraps of metal lay here and there, signifying that many deaths had happened here before. I found that there were chips and chunks torn from the walls and parts of the metal bars that kept me prisoner. I also found that I hadn't been disarmed of my weapons, considering that the Decepticons didn't know how to disable my elite battle-programming; I experimented with the formation of my swords but learned that I couldn't use my samurai-style swords or the double sword and I had to make do with small daggers and throwing knives. I held the sharpest knife in my hands and fondled it for a bit before I was struck by an idea.

I unsheathed my smallest throwing knife and aimed for the spot on the opposite wall right in front of the Vehicon guarding me and threw it. The bars that obstructed my target tested my skills and, for a split second, I panicked, as the knife seemed to curve slightly towards the bars… and missed them. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as the knife struck home with a satisfying _thock_ in the metal wall, immediately grabbing the attention of the guard. He pulled the knife from the wall and looked into my prison cell only to see that I was no longer in it; I was actually between the strong-built pipes on the ceiling. I could see puzzlement in the guard's optics as he opened the cell and stepped inside cautiously. _'No one ever looks up,'_ I thought, almost frustrated. As soon as the Con was directly below me, I jumped down and drove a prepared knife into his spark, killing him in one blow. However, although it was a clean kill, it did make a hell of a lot of noise and I wasn't surprised if it attracted a whole load of guards… but it didn't. I hesitantly stepped out from the cell and took the north corridor towards (hopefully) the roof of the Nemesis where I could either call for a bridge or dive off, and somehow survive the thousand-foot drop!

Sticking to the shadows, I eventually found my way to an empty shaft that, according to my scans, led directly to the roof. However my scans also showed that there were multiple Cons working their way towards my current position, possibly having been silently alerted to my escape. Without a moment's hesitation, I was using my knives to scale the shaft but because of the noise I was bound to make and the fact that I had to ram each knife in the wall and then yank it back out again, I took a lot longer than I'd anticipated, meaning it gave me a lot more time to reflect on my plan _after_ I'd gotten away from the Nemesis. I had no idea where abouts I was or what the course of the Nemesis was and for all I knew, we could've been in space! I pushed those thoughts out of my head and began making another escape plan; if we were still on Earth, all I had to do was get as far away from the Decepticons as possible then call for help… but that would also alert the Decepticons as well as the Autobots as to where exactly I was. However if I did then I could probably use a subwave frequency that all Autobots had access to that could allow them to contact each other without being found by an unwanted audience. But the subwave frequency was a constantly changing one so that it could be on one frequency one day and be on a completely different one the next without being found and even if I did manage to latch on to the subwave, I didn't know Team Prime's frequency; each team and squadron had a different subwave frequency from the next and the leader of the team knows them all… with the help of the SIC and if the SIC was me and I didn't know them… Again, I pushed these thoughts out of my head and carried on scaling the shaft; it got colder with every metre I climbed but the light at the end of the shaft was looking more and more promising as I neared my target and my freedom.

Suddenly alarms blasted out from the darkness below me and for a split second I panicked, hoping the powerful forces of the Decepticons would not find me in the unused shaft. I could hear orders being shouted below me and, again, I panicked.

"No! You fool, take _your_ squadron and go to the _SOUTH_ corridor, mine's in the north one! You complete and utter aft!" one mech screamed, possibly Starscream. A chorus of replies erupted and the clashing and scraping of metal grinded in my audios for a minute before the Decepticons scrambled to their places and squadrons. I was two metres away from my target and, with my arms aching and one final burst of strength, I clambered onto the roof of the Nemesis. Relief flooded through me as I realised that, for the first time in ages, I was one of the only prisoners that had escaped; however I when I turned to check I was alone, I saw that Megatron and Starscream had amassed the _entire_ Decepticon army and there they were stood, squadron by squadron, rank by rank and all of them armed to the teeth with Primus-knows-what, all of them ready for the inevitable order to kill me.

"So, _Emerald_," Megatron said, uttering my name like it was a foul poison in his mouth, "it would appear that you have thwarted my prison-guards and avoided detection by climbing up a disused shaft from the bowels of my Nemesis to the roof. How _wonderful_." I could tell, even from my distance, that fury and hatred boiled and wrestled in Megatron's optics. A satisfying _click_ from behind me told me that my swords had formed, but in a completely different style to the ones I more commonly used.

"—And so I believe I have no choice but to give the order to kill you here and now. Don't I Emerald?" Megatron continued but I wasn't listening, I was concentrating more on the figure _behind_ the whole army ready to murder me; it looked suspiciously like…

"KILL HER!" Megatron screamed, spitting out the order that must have stung him. There was a shout of a war cry and the army surged forwards, few falling as others so eager to get their hands soaked in my Energon and be full of pride to say that they had killed the enemy trampled them. Gunshots were fired; almost all of them dead centre on my position. But all missed. I was no longer in the same spot previously thought to be, I was on the bow of the Nemesis' roof.

"She's over there!" someone screamed and, for an astro-second, the writhing mass of mechs froze and turned to face me before another mech screamed, "get her!" and the army surged forwards again. Hundreds broke from their ranks and charged me head-on but I was an instant quicker; I unsheathed my throwing knives, not expecting to get them back, and threw them at the hundreds that amassed upon me, striking down several but the flow of bloodthirsty bandits, head-hunters and mercenaries never ceased. Pretty soon, I found myself with both of my swords "doing a Wheeljack" as Bulkhead had explained once after a fierce battle about his oldest and best friend… however I betted that the battle Wheeljack faced wasn't as "intense" (to quote Miko) as this one I endured. I could no longer keep an optic on the suspicious silhouette that I had seen earlier because I was knee-deep in Energon, bodies and fighting. Congealed Energon coated my swords as I swung at Con after Con and enemy after enemy; soon I had Energon spilling from wounds in my thigh, lower arm and left side where rare shots of _something_ hit me, driving me to the ground almost.

After I-don't-know-how-long of fighting, I began to grow weary as did the enemies that swarmed, readying themselves for killing or to be killed. Megatron and Starscream had already disappeared back into the Nemesis, abandoning their army that was willing to die for the Decepticon cause and to make their masters proud by being able to come back and tell them of the death of a common enemy amongst the Decepticons. But as sudden and as frightening as lighting, a dark figure swept down onto the enemy, pulling several off me and killing more. I went to wipe my optics, but remembered that I had my visor down and I couldn't be bothered pulling it up, to see who had spared me immediate death when more cons piled onto me, laying into me like bloodhounds laying their teeth into the fox for the kill. One of my swords was wrenched from my grasp and thrown away into the crowds of Vehicons, lost perhaps forever. Yet I felt the recent pile of Cons pulled from me and thrown away too. I couldn't fathom why this was happening, my mind was so tired and wasn't in any kind of shape to be thinking properly. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the fighting and noise stopped. Weapons were dropped as I could just about make out a blue-green glow emanating from_ somewhere_. Then I realised it was _me_. I was the source of the blue-green glow and the Decepticons facing me looked panicked as I did something. A terrible screaming filled the arid air around us and I looked around for whom it was when it dawned on me that _I _was the one screaming and I couldn't stop.

Seconds passed and I still couldn't stop screaming; more and more Decepticons looked fearfully at me but what I saw nearer to me was what shocked me, almost into silence. The Decepticons at the front looked like they had been _skinned of their armour_ and all that was left of them was a clattered pile of shells, skeletal frames and singed and burnt armour shards. My arms had flung out to my sides and it must have looked like I was re-enacting Jesus on the cross. A brilliant green light consumed everything and, when it had subsided, all the remaining Decepticons were the same as the ones near the front, dead piles of skeletal frames and burnt armour shards around them. The last survivors of my screaming fit dived for the doors and scampered from the slaughter they had so dreadfully witnessed. And slowly, my screams died to a whimper as I sank to my knees and sobbed quietly. Smoke rose from the ashen piles of those who had previously lived and, I realised, that I had wiped out half the Decepticon army in three seconds flat.


	20. Surprise!

A numbing silence possessed the decks of the Nemesis as I walked solemnly among the dead. When Optimus had said that I would be able to stop the Decepticons, I guaranteed that neither of us knew that I would be capable of committing near genocide in three seconds. I didn't remember half of the battle and it was just as well, except, there was one thing bothering me: who and where was the mysterious mech that had pulled some of the Decepticons off me?

"Emerald." A voice echoed in the still, dry air from behind me. I didn't stop, I didn't stay and I didn't answer, I just kept on walking past each and every pile of death. I had been shaken badly from the moment I had seen the first row of Decepticons incinerated.

"Turn and look at me when I am talking to you Emerald, please." I stopped.

Since when had Megatron used the word 'please'?

I turned slowly, not bothering about readying any of my weapons, but only to see a slightly comforting blue-green vortex with a tall silhouette painted against it. Megatron was nowhere in sight, probably cowering in the darkest depths of the Nemesis with Starscream.

"Come here, Emerald." Optimus said gently, obviously not wanting to re-endure what had happened just a few minutes ago. With a blank look upon my face, I trudged back past the dead and stopped a few feet from my spark mate.

"Optimus… I…" I couldn't find any words to speak. I tried again. "Optimus…" but a sob choked me and his name came out as a hoarse whisper as I swayed dangerously on tired pedes.

"It's ok, Emerald, it wasn't your fault." Optimus soothed me, his voice wavering slightly as he walked towards me. He towered over me, fear and horror apparent in his optics, and pulled me close to him. We hugged for a brief moment before Optimus put his arm around me and led me back through the swirl-patterned ground bridge to home, miles away from the devastation that I had left behind in my destructive wake.

* * *

><p>"But you didn't see what she did…"<p>

"No but…"

"Oh shut up Miko, you weren't there…"

"Yeah and neither were you Jack…"

"None of us were…"

"Apparently she committed genocide…"

"Raf, just stay out of this…"

"…did she?"

"Miko! Just shush…"

"I just wanna know!"

"It's a delicate situation…"

"Stay _out of this_ Raf…"

"I'm just sayin'"

"Yeah well don't…"

"All three of you stop it. Now."

"Sorry Arcee…"

* * *

><p>I sat in isolation, hearing, catching snippets of conversations between each other through the thick metal door. I was cut off from the outside world as the terrible scene on the Nemesis replayed, in a loop, in my head over and over again, each one as vivid as the last. I was listening, not exactly out of choice, to an orchestral song from an old TV show I used to watch. Doctor Who. The piece was long but beautiful and was called 'This is Gallifrey. Our Childhood. Our Home' by the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales. All I could see was dark black walls with scratches and chips in them, reminding me of my prison cell on the Nemesis. There were the occasional scrapes and bangs coming from the Medbay, maybe Optimus and Ratchet were fighting with each other. However unlikely that was. No one was allowed entry into this dominion, not even Optimus. I was scared that I would hurt them like I did on the Nemesis. I didn't come out for Energon, I didn't engage in any treatment for my "condition" according to Ratchet. I would always retreat back into my shell and turn away from the world. I wouldn't acknowledge it for long periods of time until the loud noises started, shattering the silence in the base. No enemy activity ever cropped up. No one left the base except to run the children to and from school and to and from the base to home. Jack rarely went out on rides with Arcee. Miko hardly ever went dune busting with Bulkhead. Raf stopped playing racing computer games with Bumblebee. Ratchet didn't lose his temper or threw anything and Optimus was just as withdrawn as I was. The Autobot base was like a ghost town, deathly silent and unnerving. Not even the sharp-tongued Agent Fowler came for reports from Prime and June never came anymore. It was exactly three days after my deathly feat on board the Nemesis and everyone was wary of what I was capable of and no one came in to check on me. That was, until today.<p>

A sharp, metallic knocking came against the door of my room. My head jerked up, wild optics searching the room for the source.

_KNOCK. KNOCK._

There it was again. I didn't dare to say 'come in' for I didn't know who it was. It felt like I was living in one of my nightmares again.

_KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK._

Three times. Well, they did always say third times a charm.

_KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK._

"Emerald? May I come in?" a muffled voice followed the four knocks. I vaguely recognised it to be either Ratchet or Optimus.

"Yeah" came my rough, hoarse reply. The door creaked open like they do in haunted houses, light from the base spilling in; following the mech that had entered… unless it was Arcee.

"May I sit with you?"

"Yeah" I didn't care who it was, I just wanted company. I didn't want to be alone anymore. Being alone sucked. I was pining for company so bad I was almost, _almost_, driven to etching into the walls characters of my own imagination. Footsteps echoed around the empty room as the mech came closer to me and sat down next to me. I turned my head and saw that it was Optimus, possible concern all over his face.

"Emerald, you do know that you can't stay locked away in here for the rest of your life? Don't you?" he said, I shifted uncomfortably on the floor and my optics darted around the room. I felt Optimus' hand on my shoulder, trying to turn me towards him. Unwillingly, I let him. I looked at him for the first time in over three days and what I saw shocked me.

Optimus' face had a few scratches and scars all over it, his optics were glistening with possible tears and his antennae had chips and hairline cuts in them. His red armour was also scratched and scarred and dried Energon could be seen in small patches by his chest… by his spark. My spark wrenched at the thought of him self-harming and I allowed some fury to pass through the spark bond. Optimus' face creased and I saw him flinch as I went to place a hand over his spark.

'_Optimus you arse, you've been self-harming haven't you?' _I said through our spark bond.

'… _Yes. I have. I'm sorry Emerald.'_

'_But why? I love you, why would you do this?'_ I was beyond anger now, I was seething with fury!

'_I know but… I felt guilty and responsible for you getting kidnapped by Megatron… I was… scared Emerald. I didn't want anything to happen to you. We searched everywhere for you. W e searched all the frequencies for anything that might lead us to you. But we found nothing.'_

'_But Optimus…'_

'_Please, spare me your anger and disappointment. I can feel it and it hurts more than any words can say… mine or yours.'_ I had heard enough. I was about to force him out when there was one last 'message' through the spark bond,

'_I wasn't self-harming after we got you back. It was before when we had lost you. I thought it was forever and I couldn't pinpoint your location. I stayed up all night, waiting.'_ I stopped dead in my tracks at this.

"You did?" I asked in a small voice.

"Yes. I did. You can ask Ratchet; he tried to get me back to my quarters with the help of Bulkhead and Bumblebee but I refused to go… even when he threatened to have Bulkhead and Bumblebee take me by the legs and drag me back." I smiled softly at the thought of an ex-Wrecker and a scout and a grouchy old medic dragging Optimus through the corridors of the base just so he could get some rest. Optimus placed his hand on my shoulder as he stood up too and, for seemingly the first time in ages, smiled.

"But the others… don't they… aren't they…" I gave up trying to ask whether the others were frightened of me, whether they knew.

"They know Emerald. But they are not afraid, they see your 'power' as a small victory and a sliver of hope that maybe we can finally end this war." Optimus replied, knowing my questions. "Now, shall we leave here? It's beginning to unnerve me slightly."

"I must be a sight!" I exclaimed as I thought of how long I had stayed cooped up in here and never leaving. Optimus laughed a bit at my remark.

"Well, you are a _bit _of a mess!"

"Well, I better go and get cleaned up then, shouldn't I?" I said, playfully punching my spark mate on the arm. And with that, we both left the room where I'd 'taken refuge', as Miko later called it, and headed for the wash racks.

* * *

><p>After finally washing and with a feeling of cleanliness, I bounced back to life and headed out for a dirt-track race with Bumblebee and Raf, closely followed by dune bashing with Bulkhead and Miko, nothing with Jack and Arcee (cos they're too boring) and finally, an evening drive with Optimus. Obviously I spent most of the night annoying Ratchet because of a slight celebration; today was the day I'd become an Autobot. Raf and Miko managed to get permission from their parents to stay overnight and Jack and June Darby came along anyway. Wheeljack was invited but never showed up but we didn't let that put a dampener on things.<p>

Tonight was _my_ night and even _Optimus Prime_ said he would join in with the party, after all, it was his fault that I became an Autobot. However, I didn't know what was going to happen because everyone agreed that the events should be kept a surprise in order for it to be 'super, immensely special!' according to Miko. I had been waiting for three hours for them to get things set up until, finally, just before sundown, Miko, Raf and Jack and June came to get me… but that wasn't until I had a super-sized blindfold on!

"Please? Pretty please with a sugar and a cherry on top?" Miko pleaded, it would be fun apparently!

"But why? I don't see the point!" I argued.

"Just put the blindfold on else you'll miss your own party!" Miko, Jack and Raf exclaimed. I sighed and gave in. The children all gave a 'yes!' and slipped the blindfold over my optics, an expert knot was given by June and we set off for the main room. I walked into a wall at least twice but the humans tried to push me in the right direction when, at last, we reached the room.

"Sensors and radars and other stuff of Emerald!" Miko sang cheerily. I rolled my optics and did so. Small cracks of light poked their way through the blindfold and I tried to look around the room… then the lights went out.

"What the-!" I started but the blindfold was whipped off, giving my optics freedom. That was when I noticed that there was no one else in the room… or was there?

"Guys?"

"SURPRISE!" came the shout and I jumped several feet in the air out of shock and surprise. A whole load of mood lighting and patterns lit up the base, mixing between blues, greens and reds as well as every other colour in the spectrum. Then everyone came out of his or her hiding places, all of them saying things like 'congratulations' or 'do you like it?' as well as other kinds of comments. Miko and June were dressed in their best clothes, as were Jack and Raf. June was wearing a beautiful green top and black silky trousers, Jack and Raf were wearing a form of suit and Miko, being Miko, dressed in a white dress similar to the one I'd been wearing the day I'd become an Autobot. Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead all had fresh coats of paint, a wax job and a VERY good clean and all of my comrades looked sparkling clean! I was at a loss for words and stood there, almost fish-mouthing at the sound system, the lighting and the variety of games that had been chosen and altered for Autobots and humans.

"Emerald, what do you think?" Jack asked as Miko began to choose songs to play.

"I'm speechless! How did you lot manage this? I'm surprised Ratchet even let you do this!" I exclaimed after I finally managed to close my mouth and form a few words.

"Well, we all started begging him endlessly until he gave in and helped us do it." Jack shrugged like it was no big deal. There were even decorations hanging gracefully from the rafters, green and black coloured as it happens!

"However, Emerald," Arcee said as she approached, "Optimus and Ratchet can't attend yet, they're… finishing something." My spark sank in disappointment but I was determined not to let it put a downer on everything.

"Arcee, you're a terrible liar you know!" I laughed, everyone smiled as Miko started banging out some tunes on her guitar. It looked somewhat strange; Miko in a beautiful white dress looking absolutely amazing… hammering away ruthlessly on an electric guitar to some heavy metal tunes. I smiled warmly as Jack started up a game of Twister with Raf and June. Bumblebee, Arcee and I then decided it would be fun and gave it a whirl… only to end up a pile of chassis, limbs and laughing heads. After picking ourselves up, we fooled around on Guitar Hero for which Ratchet had made two huge, Autobot-sized guitars!

"The wonders of Ratchet never cease to amaze!" I said incredulously as Bumblebee and Bulkhead brought out the guitars, fully equipped with straps and all the correct buttons. The songs were a mish-mash of songs, ranging from Bon Jovi to Skillet. We played 'Whispers in the Dark' by Skillet, numerous Linkin Park songs, two Evanescence and (chosen by me) 'This Is Halloween' by Marilyn Manson, considering it is one of the best songs in the universe… also in which I thrashed everyone, including Miko! The Japanese girl was NOT happy by this and got her own back by cheating on '21 Guns' by Green Day. However by that time, there was still no sign of Optimus and Ratchet.

* * *

><p>The night wore on and <em>still <em>no Optimus or Ratchet. Everyone was baffled by the absence of the two mechs that had supported me the most during my tough first year as an Autobot. It was hard to believe that it had been a year already and here we were, celebrating my induction as one of Team Prime. It had gone by so fast it was unbelievable. As I was reminiscing, the lights cut out.

"Ah!" Miko and Raf jumped as we were all suddenly surrounded by darkness save for the warm glow of the computers and the blue and green optics in the room.

"What happened?"

"Is there a power cut?

"Don't be stupid, you can't get power cuts here!" slight arguments happened here and there but it didn't help the fact that the lights had gone out. Just when we were starting to break out the headlights, something grabbed me by the arm.

"SHIT!" I shouted as I jumped out of my armour in shock. I tried to yank my arm back from their grip but they held firm and tried pulling me towards, I think, one of the exits. I started to panic when I felt a 'message' come through Optimus and mine's spark bond.

'_Emerald, do not be afraid. There is another surprise waiting for you that Ratchet and myself have been working on…'_

"Emerald, are you ok?" everyone was shouting.

"I'm fine! It was just Optimus… I think…" the tension in the room relaxed as we all realised that it was a friend, not foe that had grabbed me.

"Actually, its Ratchet."

"Oops. Sorry Ratchet." Was all I could say as the lights finally came back on and the small sense of panic inside everyone was gone.

"Emerald, come with me. Optimus had something to show you." Ratchet almost whispered in my audio as he led me away from the party.

"Uh, you guys carry on a minute! I'll be right back!" I added quietly, "I think."

* * *

><p>Ratchet led me through pretty much every corridor in the base before stopping in a form of artillery room… with no sign of Optimus.<p>

"Ratchet? Is this a joke?" I asked, not amused by this at all. Ratchet, however, didn't answer and moved an entire case of guns to the right like it was no problem and there, set into the wall, was a large passageway into another part that was unmapped on the schemes.

"What the-?" I followed Ratchet through the passageway on all fours and into a large, cavernous room where, in the middle of the room, stood Optimus. However, that was when I noticed the décor in the room. Beautifully lit with colour-changing lights, Christmas-like decorations hung artistically from the walls and rafters and there, slap-bang in the dead centre of the room, was a skating rink.

"Wha-?" I was astounded as I stood there, taking in all the gorgeous decorations and lights that I found simply mesmerizing

"What do you think?" Ratchet prompted as he started to leave the room.

"No words rich enough can possibly describe this." I started, "HOW? This is incredible!" I could see Ratchet leaving the room out of the corner of my optic but I wasn't concentrating on him; I was concentrating on my bondmate who was on the ice rink waiting for me. Optimus' paint had been restored, buffed, waxed and everything else possibly to make him look so amazing. The wounds he'd received for self-harming had miraculously disappeared and he just stood there, literally like an angel fallen from heaven.

"Optimus? How did you manage this?" was all I could say before reverting back to gawking at the room. Optimus smirked.

"This is nothing, wait until you see this," he said. As he clapped his hands twice, blue LED lights sprang up from all over the room, beautifully illuminating several statues of ballerinas, angels, fairies and so on. Suddenly, Optimus skated over and invited me onto the rink that he'd done just for us.

"But," the smile from mine and Optimus' faces disappeared, "I can't ice skate." I finished lamely. It was true; I couldn't ice skate for toffee. Frowning, Optimus skated right to the edge, stepped off the ice and put a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. I raised my head to look at my wondrous bondmate.

"That doesn't matter. I can teach you." Was all he said before I was hauled onto the ice, slipping and sliding on the glittering surface. Twice, three times I grabbed onto Optimus before I went down but the amount of times I actually fell…

"Whoa!" I exclaimed as I landed, for the millionth time, on my aft on the ice. Optimus winced at how hard I'd landed but wasted no time in helping me up again.

"Just relax Emerald, you won't fall if you relax!" Optimus tried teaching me how to skate but it was hopeless. "Right, you stay here at the edge and hold on to the side; I'll show you how to skate. That ok?" Optimus suggested and all I could do was nod. Prime skated away into the middle of the ice rink and showed me how to stay upright; I copied immediately afterwards. Then he showed me how to skate a few steps; I copied again. He showed me everything, I copied it straight away and, pretty soon, I was up and running (or should I say skating?) just as good as Optimus. Next we moved on to the trickier moves that contestants on the British TV show Dancing On Ice did. However, it was no problem.

Then came the figure skating.

"Emerald, hold my hand and let me do the work." Optimus said simply. Slightly suspicious about this, but I gently placed my small hand in his huge, outstretched hand and we set off. Optimus placed his hand on my hip and I did the same; it was like ballroom dancing but on ice. It was so easy that we were doing lifts and whirling around the rink, both of us having the time of our lives. The blur of the blue and green lights was mesmerising, enchanting and magical. Soft melodies played in the background and it was like I was living in a fantasy.

"Optimus, this is…" I couldn't find any word to describe it, "… magical." I whispered, breathless (or I would if I could breath because Autobots DON'T breath!)

"You think this is great, wait until I do… this…" Optimus said just as snow floated down onto us in the middle of the rink. I could tell that my optics had gone wide because Optimus' face lit up with joy at my amazement. Now I really couldn't describe the whole thing! We gradually skated to a stop in the exact centre of the ice rink, right beneath the snow and, weirdly, glitter.

"I guess the appropriate phrase would be 'happy birthday' Emerald." Optimus said, his baritone voice so smooth and rich. Surges of love, joy, pure amazement and other emotions flooded through our spark bond as my mech lowered his head, I raised mine, and we kissed.

* * *

><p>We skated and kissed for quite a while before the snow stopped but even then we carried on skating until we both collapsed at the edge, exhausted.<p>

"Emerald," Optimus said.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"I have one more surprise and present for you."

"Yay!" I scrambled to my feet to follow Optimus out of the little passageway, back into reality. We walked along the dimly lit corridors for a while until we'd reached the main room for the party. Everyone turned to look at us, but they started hiding something behind their chassis'. I tilted my head in suspicion and curiosity when Ratchet led the others outside. I was told to wait here with Optimus and it was quite a while before Jack came racing back down with Arcee to get us.

"Where are we going?" I asked as them both as we were led outside.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not tellin'!" Jack and Arcee teased as they raced ahead of us. I turned to look at Optimus and shrugged. When we reached the top of the base, a warm summer breeze whipping around our armour, there was a stand with what looked like rockets on them.

"Huh?" I stood there completely baffled by this strange turn of events when Bumblebee tugged me over to where everyone else was stood. Automatically, I moved beside Optimus with Bumblebee on my right, Arcee and Bulkhead afterwards with the children and June on their Guardians' shoulders. Ratcht, finally finished with preperations for whatever was about to happen, dashed back over to Optimus' left and pressed a button.

Nothing happened.

"What-" but Optimus shushed me, a fraction of a second before there was an almighty _**BANG!**_in the still air around us. Several thin green jets of light shot from the stand and exploded in the starred sky, beautiful sparks raining down on us as all ten of us stood there, mesmerised by the display. Several more fireworks erupted from the stand, all of them exploding into gorgeous patterns, and, just when I though it was over, the biggest, loudest and most disorientating bang of all shattered our ears and audios as a huge black and green entwined jet shot up into the sky. All eyes and optis went wide as the firework imploded on itself and cast a super-nova-like pattern across the sky, green with black streaks through it. The absolutely astounding display continued for seemingly ages before it gave one final shockwave of a blast that ricocheted across the night.

As the smoke died down and the others began heading back inside after a few speeches were done and laughing fits had finished, only Optimus and I remained on the roof.

"Enjoyed today?"

"..."

"Emerald?"

"..." I was at a loss for words. No word I could think of seemed good enough to describe what I'd just seen.

"Emerald, are you ok?" Optimus moved closer towards me and I turned to face my handsome mech. I looked deeply into his optics, wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him as the full moon rose behind us.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**THANK YOU! Thank you all for staying with Emerald and Optimus throughout Stranded In The Cold With Eyes Like Emeralds. At the end, I was watching Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and it had just reached the end (timing, huh?) where Jack Skellington was kissing Sally and that was what I decided to recreate with Optimus and Emerald because they seem like a great Transformers version of Jack and Sally.**

**I would also like to thank the many, many reviewers(!)(sarcasm!)**** for this story and you all deserve your names here:  
>Sailor Shinzo<br>AlexisOptimus (one of my best mates on here!)  
>Noella50881<br>Catbelle**

**I know that isn't a lot but AlexisOptimus and Sailor Shinzo reviewed the most, especially AlexisOptimus! But hey, I am not going to get too bogged down on that so instead a whole load of free cookies for EVERYONE!**

**HOWEVER! I would like to point out that I WILL NOT be doing any sequel for this but if any of YOU would like to, then please PM me and I will give permission as long as you give a relatively detailed plot, storyline, character involvement and other such things.**

**A huge thanks for you all and goodnight!**


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